The Fall
by Jeggetts
Summary: After failing the summoning ritual, Louise is transported to an old and battered world, full of suffering and conflict. War never changes, but people do. As the world changes her, Louise wonders about her future, the people she meets, and the impact she is to have on this world.
1. Prologue: Alone

Louise opened her eyes to an overcast sky, though it still hurt her eyes a little when she did, and she felt dirt beneath her hand as she closed it in surprise at the revelation she was lying on the ground. She quickly began to get up in embarrassment at her predicament, but soon realized she didn't hear any laughter from her classmates from her explosion.

Well good, she thought. She didn't know what she summoned but she knew it had to be something magnificent! It made her classmates go quiet with awe after all! Yes, that was it! She quickly scramble to her feet to behold her familiar. But when she finally did, she gasped in shock and began looking around frantically, her heart rate increasing.

She wasn't in the courtyard anymore. Her classmates were gone, the Academy was gone, the very vegetation as far as her eyes could see was gone. A sudden breeze sending dirt onto her uniform accentuated this facet. The land around her was completely foreign and despite her state she looked at it in a bit of awe.

The land was the most sickly shade of brown she had ever seen. She never was one for the color herself but something about this just felt… wrong to her. Like something had poisoned the land around her, for the only trees she had seen were dead, the trunks blackened and branches empty of leaves. It just served to amplify the sheer emptiness of this land that now surrounded her.

Her hands began to tremble and her breathing became faster. Where was she!? What happened!? She began turning in all directions, her fear and desperation rising.

No… no! This wasn't real! This… this was… this was just… just a dream! That was it! She was knocked unconscious and she was in the infirmary, yet to wake up!

She closed her her eyes, even with the sun behind the clouds she still saw red through her closed eyelids, and when she opened them she would be awake.

She opened them only to find the barren landscape before he still there, taunting her.

She closed them again. Then opened them again. And again. And again. She tried six more times, moisture becoming more prominent in her eyes as she did.

She tried again, ,keeping them closed far longer than any previous attempts, holding her wand close to her chest with both trembling hands.

She was alone still. She couldn't stop herself from falling to her knee's, ignoring the pain of the rocks she had landed on through sheer despair. The tears were running down her face and she was hyperventilating and her hands threatened to snap her wand in half. She choked out a few sobs. Her tears fell into the dry dirt of the desert.

She was alone.

She stayed that way for a while longer. The tears stopped eventually, but her eyes remained sore.

She had to find a way back home. She knew that. The question was how? The only clue as to her location was this being a desert and the only desert she knew of was Rub a Kali. But that meant she was in elven territory then! The enemies of man and Brimir. The fact alone nearly made her faint. She coud'nt even manage one spell without it exploding. That might help her sometimes, but against elves, who could challenge even their Founder, it would be a short battle not in her favor if she was ever found by them.

But even then, she was hardly an experienced outdoors man. That was more Cattleya's expertise.

Her thoughts abruptly halted as they passed over her sister. Louise

Cattleya... how would she react to news of her disappearance?

With that image in her mind she picked herself up from the ground and brushed the rocks and pebbles that stuck to her leggings off and tried to start on her journey back.

But how? She didn't even what direction north was. She certainly didn't want to wander deeper into elven territory. The clouds still covered the sky irritatingly cloaking it's position. She knew enough to realize that simply looking at it's position in the sky would tell her what direction to start walking.

Regardless, she still felt like she should find some shelter. She didn't know what creatures she could expect to run into in the desert. Hopefully her explosions would be enough for them. But founder help her if she should run into the elves...

With fear of the danger that lay ahead, uncertainty of her true next actions, and despair threatening to take her fully, she began her journey, leaving a solitary trail of footprints in the vast desert.

* * *

She didn't know how long she walked. Well that wasn't true. She had walked long enough for her legs to get sore and began feeling the oncoming thirst that she knew was rapidly approaching problem. And she also started experiencing one of the many mundane irritants of being outside for an extended period of time. She was sunburned. She had held her cloak over her as best as she could to keep the sun of her her, but it wasn't enough apparently as her legs, face and hands all began to turn red. It was't that surprising. She wasn't used to being outside for extended periods at all. Though she had more than a few passing thoughts to scream obscenities at the clouds for keeping her from getting proper bearings but doing sweet founder all to help her against the sun.

Regardless she pushed on into the unknown. She thanked the founder several times over that she had not encountered any hostile wildlife in the time she had walked. Though it did little to lift the sense of sheer isolation she felt. She hadn't seen anything other than the occasional dead tree to prove that _anything_ has called this desert home in some time. And she couldn't shake the feeling that something about this place felt off. Like it was unnatural. Not the land itself, but _something_ about it. It just felt _too_ deserts she felt, just shouldn't have this level of just plain emptiness to them, both in animal and plant life.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she tripped over something and was sent to the ground in a heap. Although a bit painful, when she got a good look at the offending object a sudden flurry of emotions shot through her body.

It was a road! People have been here! But upon closer inspection she realized that the road was partially covered in dirt and sand and was visibly cracked. Doubtful that the elves had used this for travel in some time. Well she had something now. She could either continue on the direction she was heading or take her chances with the road. Neither really appealed to it, for though it showed signs of disuse, but that wasn't a guarantee of her being safe. But neither was any direction either. For all she knew, she was literally a few steps from finding a hidden elf village and her demise from a bunch of vengeful desert folk.

She bit her lip. She just didn't know to do!

Well actually that wasn't true. She needed to find shelter for the night. The overcast sky was starting to turn orange. night was approaching and she'd rather not spend the night out in the open. She knew that much at least.

Scanning up and down the road, she spotted something in the distance. A building. A small building a fair ways a way in the distance.

But before she could start walking towards it she began hearing a buzzing sound. Already feeling shivers crawling up her pins from the sound alone, she turned around to face her first encounter in this place.

Four large absolutely disgusting bugs flew towards her, their wings still making that horrid noise. Their over sized abdomens visibly jiggled which nearly throw up on the spot. She always hated bugs and these things, as dangerous as they probably were, took

She was about ready to launch a simple fireball spell at them when suddenly the lead one hovered in midair and pointed... something on it's torso and suddenly let out another something that warranted her dodging to the side lest it become a painful something.

She felt the projectiles tear and punch through her cloak, angering her at the destruction from her only protection from the sun. As best as she could on shaky legs from the sudden adrenaline. She backed up from the creatures, trying to get out of range of their projectiles. She aimed her wand at the ground and let out a quick spell.

"Fireball!" She shouted, her first true words spoken since the summons spell, and it launched forth. Sadly the things seemed to possesses big enough brains to doge... well most of them. Three of them dodged while the fourth was hit directly and suddenly there was no more disgusting bug. There was only disgusting bug parts, one of which landed right on one of her shoes, the piece of flesh staining it with gooey green blood. Though in a stroke of good fortune she felt would become a rarity, pieces of the bug propelled by the explosion managed to cut off the wings of another bug creature causing it to drop to the ground in what she hoped was agony, as it flopped around rapidly churning up dirt. Another one of the bugs was killed when what looked like a piece of the needle launcher impaled in it's abdomen causing ti to fall to the ground completely still.

With only one still a true threat, Louise took aim again. It proved to be a bit smarter, it dodged her attacks twice more before she finally managed to kill it. It exploded once again, causing another piece, irritatingly, to land on her other shoe. She kicked the offending gore off and decided to take out her rage on the last wingless one still screeching and flopping around. She marched forward... only to immediately start retracting.

Another bug had appeared behind the scene of violence and Louise actually had a reference for this one. It was a scorpion. A much, much larger version of one than she was used to however. It was a brown and yellow coloring and it skittered along towards the once flying bug. With a cruel snap of it's pincers it cut the smaller creature free of it's needle shooting appendage near it's bottom, it's screeching increasing in pitch, and then the scorpion stuck the bug with it's tail stinger. The bug began convulse violently , but before long Louise saw it's struggles get smaller and smaller before petering out completely.

The scorpion seemed to glance at the pink haired human before it, but it's primal instincts cared only for the fresh food laid out before it. It began tearing off pieces of the creature and using it's mandibles to begin chewing it's meal.

Louise had not witnessed much more of that. For she had taken off running towards the building, her tattered cloak and sore legs completely forgotten. Sun, thirst and elves be damned, she was going into that building and she might never come back out!

It was still further away than she would have liked even with how fast her legs and fear pushed her. She approached eventually and by then the adrenaline rush was wearing off and her legs had felt heavier than they ever head in her life. She pushed herself forward on fear alone and eventually made it to the strange building. Amazingly she could actually read the words on the front but whatever they meant were lost on her. What in founders name was a 'Gas Station?" It didn't mater completely to her mind overwhelmed as she only glanced at it before bursting trough the front door.

It came open far easier than she expected it to and it closed just as easily as she slammed it back shut, creaking loudly all the way both times. She backed away from the door in fear of anything that might have been right behind her without her knowing about it ready to snatch her. She stared it for a few seconds longer before she nearly slapped herself for idiocy. She hadn't even checked if this place was safe yet! Turning on her heel she faced the interior of the building. It was dark, that much was apparent, all the windows seemed to be boarded up letting an increasingly orange light leak through in rays. The room she was in was rather small only having a counter some odd looking shelves across from it.

The was however an adjacent room that filled her with dread. She couldn't see into it. Her hands severely trembling now she approached with wand drawn. She clamped on the handle, slowly she opened it and gasped a what came out.

It was a bathroom. With only a toilet inside with the most foul smelling liquid emitting a rancid aroma.

She had a feeling 'most foul' was going to be coming up a LOT during her time her. Regardless she confirmed this place held only her. And now that she had, she then set to dragging a heavy looking... something. She didn't know exactly except it had a glass cover on the top over long spoiled of that she guessed was food. it was a bit of a process, but when she was done, it was blocking the door.

She didn't care how hard it was. The door was blocked and that was all that mattered.

The sun outside was nearly gone now, and she realized she had nothing to do but go to sleep. She choose a place in the far corner behind an overturned shelf and propped herself in it. She had a good view of the door from her, but she couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability with her back to the wall. She kept imagining that scorpion using it's stinger to stab right through the wall and impaling her. She nudged herself a little ways from the wall.

She sat in the corner away from the wall, not even a full day and already her clothing was damaged and stained and she had nearly died to something shooting needles out of it's butt!

This was her first day in the land and she knew it would take her a vast amount more to find her way back home.

She hugged herself in the dark as she heard what sounded like something howling in the night outside. It was a chilling sound that worked in tandem with the cool of the night to send shivers down the girls spine. She had already seen what was out there and it terrified her. What she hadn't seen out there terrified her more.

She began wondering how news of her disappearance would affect everyone. By now, she was sure news of her disappearance had gotten to her family. How would they react she wondered. She wasn't one to deny , but still. They were family. Mother and father would no doubt be devastated. They had always worried about her with regards to her magic, even considering having her get married into a powerful family just to ensure her safety and comfort. But she persisted in her attempts... she was starting to regret that immensely. Or maybe they might hire someone in an attempt to track her down... she really hoped they wouldn't be duped by con artists in their desperation.

Her eldest sister, Eleanor... well to be frank, Louise always did think she was a bit of a 'female dog' as Cattleya had politely told her, but then again, Louise herself could be one just as much. And she didn't forget the times where she helped study magical theory. Regardless of how Louise could feel about her, there was no denying she only lasted to the summoning ritual, an entire year, through her sheer knowledge alone.

And Cattleya... Louise's stomach took a dive when she realized how her favorite sister would take this. The sister who would always listen to her, who would comfort her with a snuggle when things got tough. It was painfully easy for Louise to imagine her crying her eyes out. That was assuming they didn't just presume her dead even. Not even a body to bury for them...

She had 'known' about her situation before, but now, sitting alone in this dusty building with threats all around her, no clear direction of where to go, no one to even help her... the cold reality that was staring at her the entire time suddenly hit her. And she began to crumble, choking out a few sobs. The only thing keeping from outright sobbing was the fear of what the noise it would attract. That is if her explosions from earlier didn't already alert every elf in the vicinity, but then again if it did they would have been here by now.

However, even in the midst of her own personal problems, she was also vaguely aware of another sensation going on in her body. She never noticed it before, but she suddenly realized that she it still felt like she was in the sun. Not just her sunburned parts, but her entire body had an overall warm feel to it. Even as the cold of the night began to set in fully, she still felt a dull warm all over her. It was an odd sensation, but in her state, it was just another 'thing' on the suddenly very long list of 'things' on her mind. The feeling stayed with her until she was finally able to drift off into a light fearful sleep, the entire day finally granting her a small mercy.

* * *

 **Edit: Removed previous authors notes on account of me sounding rather pretentious.**

 **All you need to know is that Louise isn't in the Mojave wasteland proper yet. She's in an a pretty isolated area.**

 **Just a pet peeve when Louise always is next to a convenient person in reverse summons. In all honesty, I have more than a few of them in regards to reverse summons and this story is just kind of me trying my hand at writing the type of story i would like to see.**

 **Anyway, R &R and the next chapter will be coming soon.**

 **And just to be clear: It was bloatfies she encountered.**


	2. A Clean Face I

**Arc 1 A Clean Face**

* * *

Louise woke to a soreness encompassing her entire body and a mind that did not get proper rest the night before. The sleep was not as peaceful as she originally hoped. She kept waking up periodically before trying to scan the room with nothing but dull cloud hidden moonlight invading through boarded up windows. And every attempt to get back to sleep in the cold, her teeth chattering somewhat not helping, just seemed to sap whatever energy she got out the abysmal sleep. Sadly, that perpetual warmness only served to annoy her and not actually keep her comfortably warm at all.

She was on the cusp of falling over to her side when she realized that the sun had risen, at least enough to fill the room with a yellow glow. It also served to remind her of all the dust she was breathing in as she watched particles float around in the light. She slowly picked herself up, feeling far weaker than she ever had before. She'd had to cram in a lot of studying for tests before, but this… it felt like her strength was literally being sucked right out of her. Then again, maybe it was the fact she hadn't eaten anything or had any water to drink for quite some time. Her dry lips accentuating that last part.

Or maybe it was the sunburns. Founder knows they started to kick in now. Her hands and face and thighs were all aching, her red tender skin giving her silent but painful protests with every movement. The process of simply getting to her own two feet felt like a weight had settled over her entire body.

She managed however and now with adequate light, and her attention no longer clouded by panic or shock anymore, she finally took in the building she was in in all it's odd and dilapidated glory.

The building she was in had been abandoned for quite some time, that much she knew. In hindsight, had she gotten a good enough look at the building she probably would have stayed out for fear of it coming down on her head. The architecture wasn't much to look at either. Simple looking stone floors and walls and it was a boxy utilitarian in nature. Other than a few long torn and faded posters on the all there wasn't a lively color to be found.

It was dull and unlike she had personally imagined them building. She'd always imagined the elves having some sort of elegance to their buildings. For all their hostility, a part of her did want to learn about them, at least a little. She could bring back something about their enemy after all, do something that would make this expedition more than a monumentally terrifying waste of her time.

But if dusty buildings were all she could report on, she shouldn't even bother. The bugs were more interesting. Cattleya would probably have gotten a kick out them. Maybe even could have tamed them… Catt…

Her breath hitched, and her eyes threatened to be more of a drain on her depleting hydration. She stopped herself.

No. She couldn't think about shook her head. She needed concentrate at the task at hand. Namely continuing on her journey back home. Finding out what way was north was paramount, even if she did feel more than a small amount of hesitation going back outside.

A rumble in her stomach and the sudden realization of just how dry her mouth was. Food and water. That too, was a problem. It always was, even yesterday, but it must have been the shock of… everything that made her put those things aside. Now however, she was starting to feel another pain in her stomach from the lack of food, and if she were to wander the desert again it was hardly something she could go without.

With not much choice, and the hunger ironically fueling her, she began her search for something to eat in this building. Unlikely maybe given how long this looked to be abandoned, but so was being able to walk for any respectable amount of time on an empty stomach. It was a small chance, both that she would find anything of value and that it would be edible, but judging from the barren land she had witnessed yesterday, small chances might very well what sustained her through this trek. She started with the shelves in the center of the room. Not much as was expected even just at a glance. A few more thorough searches underneath them yielded nothing of note either. She then headed over to the counter area and went behind it searching the nooks and cranny and cupboards.

After more than a few spiders, of which she noted were bigger than she was used to, and their presence nearly causing her to vomit. She really hated spiders.

She kept looking and was eventually rewarded with something. A small box sat tucking away in one of the cupboards.

Sugar bombs? What in Founders name was that? It wasn't anything she had heard of before. She wasn't even sure if she should eat it. If this building looked as old as it did, then how old were these things?

A painful rumble in the pit of her stomach

Founder damn it, she was hungry and she felt another opportunity like this would not be a common one. She had to do it.

She opened the box, taking out three 'bombs' and stuffed them in her mouth.

The result was instant as it was bizarre. Her mouth physically hurt from the sheer _sweetness_ that that these 'bombs' possessed. It was nearly to point of being sour, the sheer intensity of the flavor! It was saying something that Louise knew she ate something that was well past it's prime and _still_ found it to be too strong for her.

She nearly gagged from the stale texture, but the demand for any sort of subsidence overrode that and she quickly took two more handfuls of the sugar bombs and scarfing them down.

However she suddenly had a jolt of realization and she stopped amid another grab for food.

She checked the box, and this time actually slapped her forehead. It was already halfway empty. Cursing her self for losing control she closed it and looked where it was kept for any.

Oddly enough she did find something. Or somethings. Small roundish metal pieces with very small words on them that read 'Nuka Cola', other that read 'Sunset Saspirallia'. Nuka Cola? Sunset Sarsaparilla? The Elves certainly had strange names for things. But these looked worthless and she promptly discarded them to the floor, the pieces making an irritating noise as they impacted the ground.

She looked again, but now there was truly nothing left in the space. Nothing at all. Sighing and picking up the sugar bombs she realized that the time to go back outside was drawing near once more and she hadn't found any water source to keep her hydrated. But she didn't have any options. This place was empty so staying here was unlikely.

Gah stupid summoning ritual bringing her here...

…wait a minute… wait just a Founder damn minute! What had she been thinking!? Why didn't use the summoning spell again!? Sure it wasn't meant to be a two way portal, but it also wasn't meant to transport people to Brimir forsaken deserts either now was it? If it malfunctioned as a portal, then surely it might work again.

Suddenly giddy at the blatant option she had missed so idiotically before, she began searching for a spot to conduct the ritual. Normaly she would have taken the time to draw a pentagram for such an event, it was a holy ritual after all, but frankly, she wanted out of this place as fast as possible.

She pointed her wand towards a corner of the building and began chanting.

"Pentagon of the five elements heed my call."

The stale air in the building suddenly seemed to get a vitalization as she put more of her energy into the spell. A breeze began blowing inside of the building, fueled by the magical energy building in the corner.

"I beg of you, my servant that exists somewhere in the vast universe heed my call!"

The dust in the building was suddenly lifted from all surfaces. It began flowing with the wind, the building creaking from the sudden force within it. The wooden boards rattled as did the shelves, some of the toppling over creating a ruckess. Louise was drowning it all out with her concentration and desperation. It was rivaling her growing thirst.

It was harder than usual however. Her whole body seemed alight with a dull pain, her head in particular began throbbing with each second longer the spell went on.

Suddenly at the height of her chanting, it appeared. The summoning portal! It light up the dark room with it's holy green light. Her body seemed alight with warmth, slightly painful in fact, flowing down her arms to her wand, but she didn't care.

She made towards it as quick as she could, but the moment she took one step, something happened. In just one second the portal seemed to expand and changed color from green to blue. On her second, now much more hurried step, it seemed to jiggle as if it were made of gelatin. On her third step, so close to it as she reached out her arm, it cruelly contracted back to it's point of origin and then…

It… exploded. It sent her flying back into a painful smack against the wooden wall. Pain was instant, spreading across her body as if it were on fire. The sunburns was just insult to injury at this point. No… it was still pain.

She landed in a heap, amazingly still holding her box of sugar bombs Well, the pain in her entire body told her she wasn't crippled at least… damn you sturdy spine… and damn you sunburns…

However she didn't have much time to truly mope. The new hole in the wall coupled with the explosive force was too much for the building. Sounding in what she assumed was roughly the same amount of pain she was in, the building began visibly crumbling. Bit's and pieces of the room fell, giving the feeling that the whole thing was trying to swallow her. The fact that the room started to sink in did absolutely nothing to disprove that thought.

Her heart now racing at top speed the second time in a week, Louise was on her feet, her sunburns screams of pain now outdone by her screams of terror. She ran as soon as she was able, her legs making bounds the likes of which would have sprained something

She flew out of the hole, a piece of debris hitting her in her shoulder as she did, she till held onto the box though, the building collapsing completely behind her as she did. She was some distance away before she stopped to look at it. It just seemed to collapse from the hole inward, the roof of it sinking into a giant dust cloud that quickly expanded outward, making all sorts of horrible scraping and screeching sounds all the way.

Well that settled it. She wasn't staying there anymore. Her first day and night in the desert and all she had to show for it was a half box of food.

No matter. She had to push on. And soon. This commotion would undoubtedly draw the attention of something, be it elf or wildlife. Thankfully the sun was just rising, though the sky was still overcast, the intense glow coming from one side the cloud cover gave her a pretty good idea of where it was.

Small good news then. She was heading north the whole time. It was a small something then. With one quick glance back at her temporary shelter, she set off as quick as she could, leaving the destroyed building alone.

* * *

She was thirsty. She was sunburned. She was tired. She was scared. She was lonely. She was so many things that really deserved some vulgarities before and after them. She held her tattered cloak overhead once again in an attempt to keep the sun off her already existing burns. It was working better on account of the sun not being as high. She clutched her box and wand. She really must have been tired today, they felt like they weighed far more than they should. The increasingly hilly and rolling terrain did nothing to ease it.

Her mouth was becoming unbearably dry now. The heat was getting to her and it had only been one hour at her best guess at least since she had set off from her ruined shelter. And she had been getting an bad feeling in her stomach. Maybe eating these sugar bombs had been a mistake. The last thing she needed to do was vomit. Her headache only wanted her vomit. She decided to put off trying the summoning spell again. She feared for her health. Actually she was doing that for a while now.

She walked a while longer. And longer. And longer. Thankfully she had only encountered sparse wildlife again. Her magic at least had been more than enough to take care of them. But as before with her second attempt the summoning ritual, she felt a strange dull painful and warm sensation pass throughout her body. It was odd. She'd never had that particular problem with her magic before. She knew there was something odd about this land. It had to be some sort of latent Elven magic maybe causing some sort of interference with her own.

Grumbling at yet another problem she suddenly realized she had come up up an obstacle. A large outcropping of rock had rudely cut her off. Well this was just lovely. If lovely meant being tempted to blow the offending thing up. She scanned for any way through and she found one. A path leading downward into an area behind it. It seemed to be a ravine like area. Well, she needed a break anyway. And down there certainly looked like a god place to catch some shade.

She descended into the ravine, keeping her wand at the ready. As she entered it she quickly realized it did indeed open up into a narrow shallow ravine area. It was cooler down here already. She made to sit down and take in the shade for a while before setting off again.

Suddenly, something rang out all through the rocky canyons before her. It was sharp and instantaneous, and it got her attention as she looked around in fear.

Then she heard more, and more and more. It became an almost constant sound assaulting her eardrums. Then she heard what sounded like yelling over it. With a growing horror, she realized it was literally just a few twists and turns away.

Oh Founder damn it, what had she wandered into? It was nothing good and Louise began frantically looking for a place to hole up and wait it out and hope they passed her. She was urged on by a particularly loud scream from the battle, the pain carried off the walls and into her very being.

Breathing rapidly, all her pains forgotten, she darted towards a groove in the side of the pass, pushing herself against the wall as hard as she could.

It went on after that. And on. The sounds of what she assumed to be gunfire just kept going. She heard shouts over it occasionally, but for the most part it was just an unceasing racket bouncing off the walls of the canyon and finding a way to her ears.

Then it became quiet. Quiet enough to rival the gunfire in it's intensify and dread. Louise made no movements, except for shivering in fear. She clutched her sugar bombs and wand tightly. She prayed to Brimir to let them pass her bye. Not notice her…

She heard someone walking... it was faint, but she could hear footsteps crunching on the sand and rock. It continued past her, her hopes lifting with the passing.

Then she heard something fall from a height impacting near her level...

She never had a chance to raise her wand before a figure appeared from the right side brandishing an odd looking musket at her.

"Don't move!"

Her eyes locked onto the enemy, her hands trembling fiercely.

The enemy of man was before her.

The elf looked at her through heavily tinted glasses, a ragged looking scarf covering it's lower face. Had she not been lying down, she most certainly would have collapsed on the spot. Her wand thankfully was not in his sight. She discreetly pointed her wand at the monster, intent at least taking one of them out.

"F-f-fireba-" She breathed out in a quiet whisper. She nearly completed it, but then she noticed something... her eyes locked on the oddity.

…Wait… those ears… they weren't pointed… they weren't pointed…

This wasn't an Elf? But…

"All right kid, nice an easy. Do as I say. Get up slowly and keep your hands where I can see them!" The now identified human barked at her again. She lowered her wand discretely, trying to shove away how quickly she nearly killed another person. This was a human!? But how!? Humans were the enemy of of the elves, they hated each other how in founders name-?

"Kid seriously, get the fuck up!" He ordered once more.

"Okay…" She said softly, this whole ordeal sapping more of her precious energy.

"Get up slowly, no sudden movements. Keep your hands where I can see them."

She complied, and frankly she barely had the energy to do that.

She slowly walked out, holding both her wand and the box over her head with both of her hands. She approached the man, he roughly grabbing her objects from her with one hand. He stuffed them into his side pack and returned his full attention on her.

He gestured to her left with his gun. "Get moving."

Not really in a position, or mood, to do much else she complied. She walked in spite of the protests her body was giving her. The gun being a good motivator

They walked a little ways through the winding canyon until there was a divergence to the right.

"Turn here. Go up the hill." The man ordered.

Once again, she complied. She went up the hill and out of the canyon like area she was in, the sun lighting up her burns once more. Frankly it was a good thing she was as scared as she was. Her legs felt weak and it was pure adrenaline that kept them going up this climb.

She continued walking,and once she reached the top of the hill she was greeted by the sight of six other humans. Well six living humans at any rate. There were a fair amount of dead bodies lying all around, their blood staining the sand as it leaked into puddles around them. Two of them stood with weapons ready, two others seemed to be going from corpse to corpse and taking whatever they deemed worth taking. The fifth looked to be in conversation with a man on his knees, his face already having obviously bruised and beaten, even from this kneeling man was wearing a green uniform similar to those littering the battlefield. They were all dressed odd in her opinion. In some ways, they seemed more rages than anything else, a myriad of patchworks marring them. and they didn't look like they hadn't been changed or washed in some time.

The man standing was wearing what looked to be a black jacket of some sort, his pants a faded blue color. He was a tall one, standing well above her in height. His head was shaved, but other than that Louise couldn't make much more about him out.

As they approached she caught some of the conversation that was apparently going on between them. The man paced slightly.

"…ya fuckers. Ya cocky fragile fuckers ain't ya? Going and on about how your the only ones strong enough bring the Mojave into an age of unity and civilization, when you damn whine for a nuclear winter every goddamn day. And… what the fuck?" The man stopped whatever he was going on about as he caught sight of Louise as she was lead towards him. His attention snapped to her.

She got a good look at his face as he stared her down. His head was shaved of hair and his eyes were a deep blue. He had a rough looking face with a rough looking beard around his mouth, the very sand of the desert seemed to stick to it. His pants, jacket and shirt all bore signs of extreme use, his white undershirt in particular having what seemed like a layer of sweat and dirt on it. A frightening number of scars marred his face, some simple red lines, others almost like canyons on skin. To her, he had all the appearance of a thug.

When he spoke, his accent was absolutely nothing like Louise had ever heard before. "Johnny, you found a girl with fucking cotton candy for hair! What the fuck?!"

…what? She had no idea what cotton candy was, but the look in his eyes, and the chuckles from the group made her bristle in the face of danger.

"Just making sure the area is secure boss. Found her lurking in the ravine not far from here. This was all she had." he reached into his bag and retrieved her possession, the box and her wand. The boss, as they called him, held them. He shook the box to gauge how much was left inside. He looked at her wand with mild curiosity before turning his attention back to Louise."

"Ah, good work Johnny. Do another sweep and keep an eye out for any more patrols." Johhny, apparently, nodded and set off to do what he was ordered.

Th man, whom she presumed was the leader, looked at her and sighed. "Well, you got here at a bad time girl. There's no getting around it. To brass tacks then. Are you with them?" He gestured to the bound man and dead people.

"…what?" She blinked in confusion, her arms shaking.

"Are. You. With. This. Fuck. Face?" He said, emphasizing every word with a pointed finger to the bloodied man.

"No!"

"She's not lying. I've never seen her." The kneeling man said. Blood was running down his nose, and he had a nasty bruise on the side of his mouth.

"We don't know that for sure." Said another voice, a woman from the sound of it. She couldn't get a good look at her.

The green uniformed man scoffed. "Why the hell would we allow pink hair in the middle of a brown fucking desert? You have any idea how many basic camouflage training instructions that violates? And look at her, she's too young to wear a uniform in NCR. I'm telling you, I don't know who she is."

"He makes good points. But the fact remains, she's an unknown." Another one said. Eyeing her behind his goggles.

She gulped at the pressure and scrutiny she was under. She had thought to maybe use her noble status, but without her wand even she felt like it wouldn't do much good. "Please, I don't want any trouble." She begged.

"Well you found it. It's a bitch." The man said, getting his weapon to a more visible spot.

The leader took offence."Hey! Stow that weapon! We ain't fucking bandits."

"…well we technically are." The woman said.

The leader paused. "Okay fair point, but we ain't murders... of completely random people." He said.

Louise shook her head. 'Please! I just want to find out how to get back to Tristain!" She begged.

The whole group, the two scavenging from the bodies had returned long ago, and the bound man included gave her a set of bewildered looks.

"…Trsitain? I've been up and down the Mojave all my life and I've never heard of any settlement with that name." Said one.

"Maybe it's new. Mojave has all sort of shit going on lately." Another said.

It was all pointless prattle to her. She wanted answers!"Please, just tell me how to get there!"

"Well girly, it seems there's a problem. Not one of us has heard of that settlement we can't help you. Have you?" He asked casually to the beaten man. He gave a a glare in response.

"But that's absurd! Tristain isn't just some settlement, it's home to the Magical Academy, the most prestigious one in all of Halkegenia!"

"Uh, Halkegenia? Magic Academy?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed her dry throat putting as much exasperation into it as it could manage. "They are blessed by Brimir to protect people and guard against the Elves!"

"… Brimir, Elves... what the fuck is she going on about?" One said.

"Elves? That some new type of mutant?" Said the woman.

"Muta- No! They are the enemy of man!"

"Well tell them to get in line…" The beaten man said.

The lone woman in the group scoffed. "Well, if it's any consolation I don't think your with the NCR anymore. I think your just Brahmin shit crazy."

This... this couldn't be possible. How could even these backwaters not know about the very foundation of society!? And would they quit with the NCR idiocy already!? "I don't know what the NCR even is!"

"The New California Republic." The leader next the bound man said, his tone taking a slight mock to it.

"Promises of safety, unity, thriving communities. Promises made. _Made._ But not kept." The man said with a frown.

The beaten man protested, blood and spit flicking from his mouth, his lisp persisting. "Oh come on, you know that's not fair. Yeah, it's not perfect, but it's better than anything else poking out of this fucking world. Better than the Legion."

"At least the Legion is honest about what it promises. Death and destruction. You little weasels however, like to make promises of safety and unity, a democracy. What a puddle of fresh liquid bighorn shit. It ain't nothing but a glorified feudal system. Your president reaps the fucking rewards of all your annexed territory's, sending it back out the old regions, while the rest of us on the frontier don't even get a say on how we get fucking robbed!" The man yelled right into the others face.

Louise, although loyal to the crown with all her might, and proud as she was, could see how this could turn out poorly if she said the wrong thing. She wisely decided to not bring up her home in detail.

He sighed and turned and walked back to Louise. "Girl, listen to me. Oh and you can put your hands down, sorry." She put them down.

"If you really are just hearing about them, then hear this. They aren't what the Mojave needs. Nothing more than raiders with an over complicated way of organizing things. They make you a part of them weather you want to or not. They're making the mistakes of the old world while claiming a new age of enlightenment. I should know..." he said. Something flashed in his eyes.

Apparently having enough of having been indirectly insulted the beaten man retorted. "And just what do you precious little asses know about running a country? Fucking Lost. You're nothing but a bunch of angry people out in the desert, mad that civilization has a price tag. So what if you lose a bit of money. It'll be better in the long run. Ungrateful bastards"

The man in front of chilled the very air around him, for even his companions shifted nervously after the speech. His eyes, though technically looking at Louise seemed to be going to a much different place. She could almost see the red fury in his very eyes. If she had, she had no doubt she would be blinded by it.

"Wade." He called gesturing the man over. He complied and stood right behind her.

"Cover her eyes." He said, the aggression already taking over before he finished his sentence, a snarl overtaking his features. He spun on his heel and was in the process of pulling out something. That was all she could make out visually before a hand obscured her vision.

Her ears however were completely unobstructed. She head something metal hit flesh and a cry of pain. More hits, she knew she wasn't hit in the head, his screams of pain told her that many times over. The attacker was letting loose a string curses matching the violence itself in intensity. Then, she heard a snap and the screaming reached higher still. Then it became muffled, the screaming becoming a wet strained gurgling sound. She heard a few more snaps of something before one final impact and it became quiet completely.

Louise was trembling severely even before the hand was removed. The leader was standing over the man, now dead. Louise couldn't help but stare. It was her firs time seeing a dead body. The man was laying on his back, a red sploch visible on his stomach. His left arm was visibly broken at the elbow, ,lying at an awkward angle and the bone was sticking out. Most horrifyingly though was his face. The man's jaw was open far too much for it to be normal, and his mouth was missing some teeth only a bloody mess of gum and tooth fragments remaining. Louise could feel her heartbeat pick up, and her stomach go for anther loop. If there was another shock coming her way, she didn't think she could be able to keep it down.

The man stood there, breathing heavily from the exertion, the blood dripping from his weapon onto the dry desert sand. "If I had the goddamn patience, I would bury every single of you fuckers up to yer neck, and watch the sun peel off yer skin like paint."

He said something so softly Louise barely caught it.

"You don't know the first fucking thing about loss..."

He was breathing heavy at the exertion, blood dripping from a piece of blunt metal held in his hand. He put it back in a holster, uncaring of the blood still on it. He let out a deep sigh, his form relaxing considerably. "I'm sorry you had to be present for this girl. I got a bit of a temper on me sometimes. Now... maybe we can talk in peace." He said walking over to her. He stood near her, his blue eyes boring into her pink ones.

"What's your name first of all?"

Louse resisted the urge to say and do a great many things at the events that just happened. That was it? He just murdered a man! How could these people go from such acts of barbarity to civil discourse? She wanted to say so many things, but she forced them down and gave an answer. Almost literally. "L-Louise."

He nodded. "Well Louise, I can't tell you where to find this 'Tristain'. None of of us have even heard of it, so we can't really help you find it."

She shook her head frantically, a part of her wanting to deny this was happening."But that's impossible! It is as well known as Halkegenia's two moons!"

At the mention of the moons confusion spread. She some heads tilt.

"...Two moons? Earth only has one girl."

Another sighed, apparently getting tired of this charade."Boss let's just leave her. She's probably some junkie or just plain nuts."

He held up a hand silencing the protests. He knelled down to eye level with Louise, his blue eyes "Louise listen to me. You are on planet earth. It only has one moon and there's no such thing as magic." He said very slowly as if he were speaking to a small child.

She looked him right in the eyes looking for any sign that this was a joke or a lie. He just continued to stare. As he did Louise felt a true chill throughout her body.

No... no no no no no this couldn't be true! It had to be a lie! This... this wasn't possible. It... it... it was too much... for her stomach.

"I... oh..." With no further warning she promptly lost her lunch right in front of the man, just barely avoiding hitting him with her vomit. He got to his feet quickly backing away from the foul substance.

The remains of her sugar bombs spilled onto the dry desert sand along with some bodily fluids."Ah, fucking hell." he said grimacing.

A chuckle came from the group. "Jeez Lorcan, I know your breath can be bad, but this is ridiculous."

"Ah, stow it ya walking anus!" The man, now identified as Lorcan yelled back.

Louise cared not for their words for her entire view had just shifted dramatically. She was farther away from home than she realized. Despite her being dehydrated she was, her eyes got moist, her entire form trembling as she tried to spit out the remaining dribble, the foul taste sure to stay with her for some time.

"This... I can't be... I..." She was near sobbing at this point. Was she truly on another world? She didn't know if she believed that for sure, but the fact that these people don't even know Tristan, or Halkegenia in general, told her she wasn't in the desert that was close to her home. But they sounded pretty sure about the moons... could it be...

She put it out her mind for the time being, for her problems had mounted and she didn't need that weight clogging up her head right at this moment, her plans had changed. She wasn't walking home then. Her magic was the only way she could return home. And if these people didn't know about magic, then that might cause some problems if she revealed her self as a magic user. She couldn't come up with all the answers right this moment though, for the man seemed to be waiting for an answer.

The man, Lorcan she barely remembered, was looking at her with an odd expression. It wasn't necessarily concern, but there was something about it that seemed softer than it had been before. "Well, believe what you want to believe girl. It doesn't change the fact that we can't help you find this Tristan Place. Only settlement that's close is Goodsprings. But if your looking for a place to hole up, you could also come with us." He said with with an easy smile.

The sudden offer took her aback greatly as it did for the other present as the protests started immediately.

"Wait what?" One of the group said.

"Yeah what the fuck? What if she's NCR?"

Lorcan glared at them. "She ain't with the NCR ya daft idiots. I don't know what she is, but she ain't NCR. Look at her. She's... odd." he said gesticulating wildly to her.

"Her clothes are too clean. _She's_ too clean. There ain't nearly as much dirt grime and sweat on her as the rest of us. Her whites don't have the years of stains they get in the desert. And she doesn't stink nearly as bad as the rest of us. You don't think there's something odd with that?" He pointed out. The others were now gazing at her more intently at the mention of her oddities for this place. She had to give the man some credit. He was far more perceptive then she thought.

"Ugh, some fucking odd Vault Dweller, look boss, frankly I don't care about her. We've wasted a lot a time here and considering we just hit an NCR squad, I'd rather not be here when the next one shows up. We got lucky this time, but we won't the element of surprise anymore. The hell would she even contribute anyway? She look like she can barely take care of her self. She'd be nothing but a resource drain."

Lorcan seemed to pause. He tried again. "But can we really just leave her out here?" Lorcan asked.

"Well yeah. It's called ditching." The man deadpanned.

"You know what I damn well mean. We ain't a bunch of savages. We ain't gonna devolve into another band of raiders, so work with me here." The man he had brutalized said otherwise. He may ave been acting nice now, but Louise wasn't just going to forget that.

"Look Louise. I don't know much about you, but you really seem like you have no bloody idea what your doing. You looked parched, sun sick, and have no bloody idea on where to go. So I'll ask again, you wanna join us?" He asked.

There was some noises of protests coming from the group, but Louise was blocking them out as she herself was internally balking at the suggestion.

Join them? Why in founders name would she want to do that? From the sound of things, they were picking a fight with an army of a nation. She wanted to survive, how would joining something that involved lots of fighting help? Granted, he didn't exactly say that, but she had a feeling that being around them probably wouldn't help her reputation with this NCR.

"This... NCR... It's a powerful faction right?"

"Well yes. It's been expand into the Mojave recently. We got some beef with them and... well, I can't deny our life can be a bit exiting at times." Lorcan admitted.

Then that settled it. Joining them would cause her nothing but trouble. She had no interest in this country's politics, struggles, or any other thing in it. It wasn't her country and it wasn't her problem.

"I'm afraid I will have to decline." She answered.

The man eyes her intently at the statement. She stared at him defiantly, finally having a but of her noble spark in her. The man didn't look angry though. He seemed more disappointed. He sighed. "Well, I'd be a hypocrite if I forced you to join wouldn't I? That's the whole reason we fight these bastards." He said. Louise could see the regret on his face however. He held out Louise's wand and box of Sugar bombs out. She took her wand, and hesitantly grabbed the box. Seeing something you ate come back up lingered on one's mind after all.

"You mentioned there was a settlement nearby. If you could point out it's direction, I can make my way there." She asked wanting to get a move on.

He nodded. "Goodsprings." He pointed in a direction. East it looked like. "Bout two hours walk from here. We'd walk with ya, but alas due to our actions here, we don't want to get Goodsprings involved in this. They'd follow our tracks right to the town and then they'd accuse Goodsrpings of harboring murderers or some shit. I'd like to you help ya get there, I truly would, but If by some chance they do come snooping around, just say you came across the scene and scavenged what you could. Goodsprings is an out of the way town for the most part and the NCR has done a lot of things to get on people's nerves around these parts. They won't cause any trouble if they know what's good for them." Lorcan explained.

That sounded just what she needed. An out of the way location. Maybe she could take up some jobs to earn money of some sort and find lodging. She might have make due at first, but frankly, getting involved in life or death situations sounded like a far worse time than just sleeping in a less than ideal place. She could say she'd done _that_ before at least.

"Just be careful when heading into town. They had some problems recently with some raider group harassing them. They managed to give em a god kick in the teeth though. Some courier, believe it or not, led a militia and sent them packing. I think the town is safe, but anyone will be shaky with some close calls like that."

Raiders? Well the random bandit was better than the random soldier in her book. And at least towns didn't go looking for trouble.

"Is there any possibility of me finding any work there?" She asked.

He nodded. "A good chance. There's two stores that could always do with some help, and the bighorner ranchers always did have some trouble finding hands. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty that is..." He seemed to examine her.

"Course you do got some valuables on ya so that should help. That little golden thing you got on your neck could go for a decent price. Hell, your clothes look pretty damn pristine. Trade them in, you could get some decent caps for it. Should probably trade in that cloak for a decent hat." He chuckled.

Despite the utter absurdity of what the man was saying about trading in her clothes, the word caps seemed to stick in her mind. She blinked in confusion. "Caps?"

"It's the currency most of the Mojave uses. The NCR's got some dollar bills, but they're pretty weak." He explained as he took out some objects from his pocket to show to her. And she once again felt the urge to slap herself. The words Nuka Cola and Sunset Sarsaparilla stared back at her mockingly.

It was the same things she had seen back at the building! She had money in her hand the whole time and just let it fall through her fingers! Founder damn it, she really needed to learned how things worked around here.

"Boss!" The man called out again.

Lorcan rolled his eyes and barked a response."Ah, all fucking right!" He put his fingers into his mouth and whistled sharply. Another member came from somewhere out of sight from keeping watch, while Johnny from earlier came back as well. They all formed around him waiting to set off.

"We gotta get going Louise. Just head East from here and you'll get there." He said as he reached into his jacket.

"And try to step on rocks if you don't wanna leave tracks!" The man, Johnny said laughing.

She barely caught the object tossed at her from Lorcan due to that mocking tone.

The others looked at him, shocked that he gave up some water so easily. He simply smiled."Something for the road, and to prove I ain't lying. Like I said, we ain't savages." He said. The man seemed hesitant. Most likely to let her go. She appreciated the sentiment honestly, but her mind was made up. She didn't want to get dragged into their conflict.

"They got a doctor in town too. Nice fella. You be sure to see him, ya hear. And be careful. Mojave is a hotbed for trouble these days." With one more glance at her, Lorcan began walking off into the desert followed by his companions.

Louise didn't wistfully watch them go however. As soon as they set off, she was staring at the object she held with fascination. It was a clear material that held clean water. Despite having a vital substance in it, Louise was honestly fascinated with it's container. It somewhat molded to her grasp, but was strong enough to hold water. She could could just hold it for hours...

Actually, that might be the dehydration talking. She unscrewed the cap and as soon as the warm water hit her mouth, she began guzzling it down. She didn't care if it was warm, she was just happy to get some water in her system. She pulled the odd container away from her panting in at least some contention.

It was only when she looked back up again did she realize they were gone and she was left alone again.

It suited her just fine knowing the trouble that followed them. Pulling her cloak over her head again,she turned eastward and began walking towards the town named Goodsprings.


	3. A Clean Face II

Cloak once again over her Head Louise was heading towards the town called Goodpsrings. Her half box of Sugar Bombs and wand tucked in her arm pit as she walked through the brown dull landscape of the desert. Other than the occasional breeze picking up some dust and irritatingly coating her in it and the sound of crickets among the rocks, there was nothing of interest. Fine by her. Between giant bugs and conflicts between gangs and armies, the last thing she wanted was anything of interest from here to Goodsprings.

She continued walking, her head under her tattered cloak the stinging beams of sunlight occasionally going over her face. More dust, more crickets, more aching burns with every movement. She occasionally looked around her for any signs of wildlife. More specifically bugs. None so far.

She had a set destination in mind. It was something at least. Far more than anything else she had encountered during her time here so far. And it wouldn't force its way back out of the stomach. Founder damn it, that was awful. She had lost some lunch and water in one fell swoop. Her stomach wasn't demanding more food just yet, but it was only a matter of time. She kept walking.

More brown landscape. More rocks. More crickets. A pebble in her shoe a little while later was the only thing of note. It was soon rectified, her journey only briefly hindered. She walked on.

She stifled more than a few yawns as she walked as well. The amount of time of nothing happening was a siren call for her sleep deprived state. But she knew better than to do that. She had seen what lurked in these lands, even if nothing happening was trying to cloak that.

In a fit of boredom, her mind went back to those people she had met. The first one's since she arrived. She really didn't know what to think of them. On the one hand they openly murdered a defenseless man, brutalized him beyond what was necessary. On the other, they _didn't_ do that to her, even though most of them seemed rather insultingly indifferent to her, period. That man, Lorcan, showed no remorse for killing and torturing, yet seemed willing to take in a girl he'd never met before when none of his comrade's did. He certainly didn't have to give her some water, and after some thought it convinced her that he did tell her the truth about this Goodsprings place. You don't waste water in the desert after all and giving water to a person you sent to their deaths certainly counted as wasteful. But that still raised the question of why. He just seemed a bit too willing to take her in to her. And from what little she gathered, in this political climate it was even riskier than usual. So again, she didn't feel right just going along with him.

Her other main thought was the situation in this place, this Mojave. From just one meeting it sounded like a war was breaking out here and she was walking right towards it. She had absolutely no plans to join it maybe, but it was something to keep in mind. Back home at least, there was peace between the kingdoms with only minor squabbles between idiot and greedy nobles. Idiots, making Henrietta's life difficult…

She paused in her gait once another painful thought of home entered her mind. Henrietta de Tristain had been her playmate as a child and her best friend. Arguably her only out of family friend.

She shook her head, a slightly shaming herself for the thoughts. Who was she kidding? Henrietta probably forgot about her long ago. She was a princess. She had so many responsibilities there was no way she remembered her. Even if Louise did. She remembered the games of hide and seek. She remembered listening to her as she confided in her, personal secrets and her apprehensions about becoming a ruler. She remembered how the princess even told her that she only trusted Louise to see her cry...

Louise felt her chest tighten at the thought of her childhood friend.

…did Henritta really forget all that?

Surprising herself even, Louise somewhat hoped so at any rate… then again, if she did, then she too would be stricken with worry right about now. Just like her family…

At a another bit of moisture gather in her eyes, she shook her head rapidly to clear her head. No she couldn't get like that. She couldn't afford to waste that water on tears. She began walking again, the wind and crickets going away without a care in the world. The pink haired girl marched on.

She marched on. And on. And on. The sun had climbed back to it's peak.. There were breaks starting to form in the clouds now however, and a full beam of undiluted sunlight just had to shine through. Founder above, it felt like she might burst into flames in direct sunlight!

She grunted and silently cursed the sun. The sooner she got to this town the better.

So she walked on. Not much of anything happened for quite a while.

Sadly, it seemed her luck had to run out sooner or later.

For she heard something. Something sounding as if many legs were skittering her way. Already She turned to face it… and screamed. It was worse than she ever could have imagined.

* * *

In the town of Goodsprings, the people simply going about their daily routines. Sunny smiles, had just returned from a routine walk around the Goodsprings outskirts. The Powder Ganger bodies they had buried had already attracted some critters, but nothing they had to worry about. Mostly just coyote's thankfully. The smell of fresh kill could be carried far and it was always a standout among the dry desert winds to the scavengers looking for a meal. Trudy was at her bar, unfazed mostly by what had transpired. She had been in a few scrapes in her time and she could say she's been through worse. They hadn't lost anybody for one, though some did take a few hits. Doc Mitchell's supplies were still holding out though, so there was that. And Chet was just happy that business was back to normal again… well except for one person.

The man who had lead the militia lingered. For what reason nobody could guess, They had assumed he would track down the men who had nearly killed him.

Instead, the man responsible for leading the militia was… tending to a garden. He was busy applying some Bighorner waste to a farmer's garden for fertilizer. The farmer in question had taken a hit during the raid on Goodsprings and he decided to do tend to his crops while he was recovering. Just until he was work ready, which should be tomorrow. Just as well for him. Even after the medical treatment Doc Mitchell had given him, he had been experiencing some dizzy spells. Nearly caused him to take a few hits in battle, but thankfully, luck seemed to be on his side during that.

He would wait one more day. Going off while he wasn't at his full capabilities was stupid, and he didn't get the age of fifty by being stupid and overconfident and taking risks when it wasn't necessary. He had seen and worked, albeit usually briefly, with plenty of idiots in his time with suicidal overconfidence. Well, far be it from him to deny them their dream of being a ground decoration.

He pulled his shovel from the ground and set it beside him as he admired his work. The manure had been spread evenly among the crops to help them grow. He had worked a ranch and crops before and he actually kind of missed this lifestyle. Well the caps he was going to get for covering for the man helped admittedly.

As he did however something graced his ears for the briefest moment. It sounded like a scream. A female one, coming from the west. He perked his ears waiting for a follow up. After a while nothing came and he was about to set to work on the next spot.

And then he heard an explosion coming from the west.

* * *

Louise de la Vallière found herself for the second time running from a giant disgusting bug. It was similar in basic shape to the small brown one she had encountered earlier. Only it was far, far larger.

She only got a passing glance at it but in the two seconds it was in her retinas it surely would never leave. The giant scorpion was a darkish blue with horrible beady eyes that gleamed when it saw her, it's pincers snapping open and closed rapidly betraying it's eagerness to cut her to pieces, and it's tail with a stinger roughly the size of her head with a wicked looking barb on it. Honestly, had she not been running for her life in the second time this week, she might have prided herself on taking so much in at such a short time span.

It didn't help her actually get rid of the scorpion though, so it was a hollow victory to her anyway. Running was far more important. She was weaving between rocks that occasionally crossed her path. The sound of them being casually tossed aside or outright obliterated followed close behind. They only barely slowed the monster down, but she had a feeling that without them she would have been caught already. This thing was offensively fast for it's size.

She head the constant skittering of either it's mandibles or legs but of doom regardless. She still held onto her precious box of Sugar Bombs amazingly, though she dropped that strange water container a while back. She had her wand in her left hand, and blindly aimed it behind her.

"FIREBALL!" She positively shrieked, her nearly deafening herself with it's volume.

As she let the spell loose, a sudden shot of pain coursed through her body and head nearly made her fall over, but she kept her course. Just barely. And she was rewarded, and partially cursed, of the damn monster screeching in pain. She dared a glance back, and found that one of it's claws had a hole in it,a green liquid leaking out, offering a small look at the soft inside of it's claw.

 _Hope that hurts you disgusting thing!_ She thought triumphantly, allowing herself a brief grin before turning her head back.

She turned her head just in time to realize she was running towards a steep hill at her top speed with no way to stop herself. With little more than a yelp as she realized it, she flew a little ways, her momentum ensuring that, before landing painfully on one of her exposed thighs, the rocks scraping painfully on her skin. She then found herself tumbling and somersaulting uncontrollably down a rocky hill, unable to gauge the bug's distance from her in this state.

Even when she finally came to a stop, her new world of death still found it content to keep spinning. She could still hear the faint skittering of the scorpion however, and it caused her to try and get to her feet.

Well actually getting to her feet was easy, it was staying on them that was difficult. She learned this as she went face first into the ground and got a gash on her chin as a result. The adrenaline was wearing off now, and she was starting to feel a bit weak. It didn't hamper her desperation however as she tried to crawl away as fast as she could.

She heard the skittering and shifting rocks as the monstrosity began following her down, the sound of shifting earth and rocks were just audible over her panicked breaths and the sound's that thing was making sounding like it was getting closer.

She rolled herself onto her back, aiming her wand with a trembling pained hand. It was at her level and bearing down on her.

"F-fire… fire…" She croaked out in rapid shallow breathes. She couldn't complete the words. The terror and exhaustion was simply overwhelming her at this point.

She could only lay there, moving backwards as fast as she could, which was outdone by the scorpion by every stretch of the imagination. She still held her wand up, trying desperately to do something to stave off the end. It appeared as hopeless as her casting true magic had been all her life.

That was until a shot rand out and something hit the scorpion right it's mandible, the thing shrieking in pain. She couldn't see her would be rescuer, but she could see their attempts. Green blood erupted from more wounds along the creature's front, and despite everything Louise took some pleasure in that fact. Even some it's eyes exploded in a brief little 'pops' of gore and viscera.

Unfortunately, the various wounds appearing on the bug did little other than, well bug it, and even with some if it's eye missing the creature advanced on her faster than she could pitifully back away. It's claws were snapping open over and over in anticipation, the hole in one of them not deterring it in the least.

Even more shots rang out, and Louise barely noted that the source of them seemed to be getting nearer. Very near in fact. She didn't know if it was shock or being distracted more by the giant bug, but Louise was only aware that the shots were suddenly right next to her and suddenly right over her. Her hurting ears did very well in conveying that.

A man came leaping out of nowhere and leaped over her form on the ground wielding a blade in his left hand. He let out another hail of bullets in the bugs sensitive eyes. Taking advantage of the bug's painful distraction, he landed atop the bug's back and using a small odd looking hand pistol in his right hand began firing at the thing's tail. Or more specifically, what she could make out being a gap in the things armor in the middle of the tail, green blood lying out with bits of flesh as well. After that he quickly lunged at the weakened spot sending his sword into the already torn and bloody segment.

The result was the sword cutting through the flesh enough that the imposing tail suddenly sagged as if it were a tree on the verge of coming down, a green gap on the thing's tail exposing what had to be it's muscle and leaking blood. The thing let out a horrible pained screech which almost garnered sympathy from the Vallière. Almost. The fact that it's mouth wasn't that far away from her was responsible for that. It began turning, it's nearly useless tail swinging slight with its momentum.

Not wanting to give it a chance, the man grabbed the thing by its stinger, taking great care to avoid that actual barb, and fire more rounds at the weak spot. The combined result from the scorpion and man pulling against each other and a few more bullets to already weakened flesh, the result was inevitable. Though he seemed to struggle in doing so, the man finally manage to hold out long enough for the scorpion to pull it's own tail off. The man stumbled to the ground but was back up just was quick, the tail twitching even though it had no owner.

Louise was lying there unable to do much of anything other than hazily gawk at the gory spectacle. A green flow of blood was flowing out of the wound and down it's tail. The scorpion left out another screech of agony as it turned to face the person causing it, completely ignoring the pinkette on the ground. It began moving away, following the man who was leading it.

Suddenly however Louise felt herself be picked up off the ground by an unknown source. She was brought to her feet, albeit very shakily and still clutching her wand and box. She didn't see the person who helped her, but two people came into her sight. One was a girl with blonde hair holding a rifle, and a dog beside her. The other looked to be a heavily wrinkled old man with a bright white beard on his face.

"What the hell is that crazy bastard doing?" The old dark skinned man said. He had various red sticks with what looked like fuses coming out of them stuffed in his pockets and some in his hand.

"Jesus, he pulled the damn thing's tail off!" Said a women's voice behind Louise, the one who had helped her up.

The blonde girl scoffed. "And here he said he was suffering dizzy spells... Pete, blow that damn thing up. Trudy, you wanna take the kid to Doc's and get her out of the way while we finish this thing off?" The woman asked, though even Louise swore she was the younger one due to her shorter size.

"Sure thing. C'mon kid. No use getting in their way." Trudy said, gently beginning to guide the exhausted and hurt pink haired girl to a nearby house.

Louise barely heard her. Her eyes never left the battle. Seeing that they planned to do, the man who had pulled off the scorpions tail, the man quickly began running towards them, the beast notably moving slower after all the punishment it had received. The old man already had the sticks lit. He threw them as the man The sticks landed right at it's feet and then promptly exploded. It didn't kill the monster, but it did blow off both pairs of many legs, or at least most of them. The end result was a legless and tailless scorpion lying on the ground, it's pincers and mandibles barely moving. It only had one eye the rest pierced by bullets.

The lone eye seemed to track the humans as they gathered around it just outside of sticking distance. Finally, it seemed to go still, green blood pooling onto the sand.

They decided to lob one more stick at it just to be sure. A giant gaping, somewhat steaming hole in it's general head area satisfied everyone involved. That was the last thing Louise could see before she was pulled inside a building.

* * *

Louise was sitting in a chair, her head buried in one hand resting other knee, her whole body slowly realizing it was still sunburned and that she had gotten some fresh wounds coming down that hill. A particularly nasty scrape along her left thigh and was bleeding slightly. She had been given a simple cloth to place over her thigh wound to prevent blood from getting ever and she held it there. The room she was in already had a faint smell of blood to it. There was another man laying on the bed, a bandage around his ankle. He was s sound asleep, unaware of the pink haired girl not far from him.

It was frankly an intoxicating enticement. She wanted so desperately to fall asleep right now. To just let her eyes close and drift off to somewhere where she wasn't in so much pain. Her body ached, and her eyes dropped teasing her. But she couldn't. She knew very well she was in the hand of strangers. They might have saved her, but Louise knew the dangers of being too trusting.

The woman, Trudy had left some time ago, leaving her in the care of the older man who called himself Doc Mitchell. He hadn't asked anything about her or about the commotion he had to have heard. He just set about to his work, exchanging a few words with Trudy as she entered and exited.

Louise brought her head up slightly. She knew she had to stay awake. She idly watched the man as he walked back and forth gathering up what he needed, a noticeable limp in his right leg. He pulled a chair and sat down beside her setting down the gathered supplies.

"Gotta say, if visitors coming into town these days keep bringing us this much excitement, Goodsprings might just rival New Vegas in entertainment value." He said chuckling.

Yes, being chased by a founder damn giant scorpion, how droll.

"Alright, let's get started. I think that gash on your thigh takes priority. I know it's right awkward, but we need to get these sorted out before they get infected." He said casually, as he pulled out another one of those odd containers of water.

"We'll need to clean the wound of any dirt first." He said idly as he patted the wet rag against her wound. It stung a little, but Louise could see the dirt that had gotten in the wound coming out with every dab and realized just how dirty it actually was. Founder, she never had to deal with injuries like this before.

'Don't look like you'll need stitches though, so there's something at least. Just need to disinfect it and bandage it up. I won't be using a stimpak though. We gotta save those for more serious injuries, and we had plenty of those to go around the last couple of days, so unfortunately, it won't be a painless process." He said, giving Louise a sympathetic look.

Suddenly however, in walked a familiar face. The man who had jumped on the scorpion.

She finally got a good look at him. He was a dark skinned man, though compared to Lorcan his face was surprisingly free of blemishes. For the most part. A bit like her, there appeared to be a nasty looking cut, albeit long healed, on his chin, and she swore she could see a perfect match up to it on the base of his neck before it disappeared beneath his shirt. Her increasingly groggy mind didn't let her absorb much more than that. Heck, she felt like she barely remembered the doctors name and face. Her eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment before she opened them and tried to concentrate again.

Mitchell smiled and chuckled. "Ah, there he is. The man of the hour. You just can't seem to avoid jumping into trouble can you? And now your starting to that literally." He chuckled as he continued to clean Louise's wound.

"Still, even one not in the medical profession could tell you the health risks of what you did." He said, giving the man a stern look.

The man shrugged. "It was necessary to give the scorpion another target." He simply said. Louise expected a follow up statement to that, but nothing came of it.

Mitchell finally removed the rage he had been using and picked a clean one and the bottle as well. "Well that's true I suppose.

Uncorking the bottle he poured some alcohol onto a rage, the dull thud the bottle made when he set it back down giving her a foreboding of the pain to come.

"Ready?" He asked.

She could only nod and clutch her hands in anticipation.

The alcohol soaked rag touched the wound and it was as if someone had stabbed her. The pain shot out from the wound and she gripped the wooden table, the wood creaking in unison with the hiss that escaped her lips. Her nails dug into the table from the pain as the drink. At least she was awake again...

He sighed. "Sorry, but this is for your own good. The last thing you need is getting an infection. Just hang in there a few seconds longer. You wanna tell us were you're from at least?"

"I'm from Tristain." She gritted out. Please, Founder please let what Lorcan said be false...

"Hm. Never heard of it. Come to think of it don't think I ever heard your accent before either. Sounds naturally offensive… no offense."

She had no idea what to make of that odd statement. Or rather she was too in pain to care. She just wanted this done.

"It's French." The man replied.

"Hm. Knew of the country, just never what they sounded like. Come to think of it, how did you know?"

The man shrugged. "I've been around a while. I've been to many places. I've learned things from both." He cryptically replied.

"That include riding scorpions?"Mitchell asked jokingly.

"Yes actually." He replied without any trace of sarcasm.

It was just as he said. In a few more moments, he pulled the rag away, the burning sensation going with it. He continued talking as he worked in an attempt to pass the time.

"So this Tristain place. Is it a Vault of some sort? Or a town above a Vault?" He asked as he began to wrap the bandages on her thigh. It may have been a casual thing for him, but for her, the feeling of someone else's hands on her was an uncomfortable one.

"Vault? What's a Vault?" Well she had it in her mind of a gold vault, but something told her he meant something else.

At that, the man lifted his head from the wound and gave her a look that almost made her wonder if she grew a second head. "Well, for one thing it's where I was born and raised. A giant underground bunker that was designed to. Though I hear that mine was a lucky one. One of the few that didn't become a tomb at any rate." He said, sadness tinging his voice. She pressed on with her subject.

"Tristain. It is a capital city of Halkegenia. As well know as it's two moons." She said, repeating her explanation from before. Here she would would confirm if Lorcan and his group had been truthful once more.

"Two moons? That's a new one. Can't say I've heard of any of the other places though. Tristain, Halkegenia, nothing."

She said nothing and her face was the picture of calm, but inside, whatever comforting denial she had promptly vanished and a cold, cold fear replaced it.

She was far, far away from home... she really was another world.

She just whimpered to herself. Though her exhaustion was a blessing of some sort. She simply didn't have the energy to cry anymore.

He finally finished applying the bandage to her wound and was looking at her other less serious one."Wasn't so bad was it? Now, we just have to see to the one on your chin and unless you got more wounds on you that is." He asked, looking at her for an answer.

She didn't answer at first and just stared off into her when she did, it was a quiet, flat tone that sounded exhausted as she felt and looked at the moment.

"I don't… I don't think so. That thing was the only creature I encountered on my way to this town." It wasn't a lie. She didn't say people and she ran into those flies before she had any idea where she was.

"Heh. Sounds like you DID get lucky then." He said as he worked on her chin wound. It went just as well as the thigh wound, even if the alcohol stung again.

"All right, that should do it. Cuts and scrapes are far more pleasant to treat than gunshot wounds to the head. Or gunshot wounds in general I suppose. But just to be safe, let me just put this on for a spell."

He reached into the bag and pulled out one of the most bizarre looking things she had seen yet. It looked like a large bulky metal bracelet with a series of buttons under a large green glass looking ornament, with an assortment of what looked like buttons and knobs placed in random spots.

"This here's a Pip Boy. I just need to put this on to see if there's any injuries we can't see. I'm just being thorough here. That fall might have at least cracked something. This'll give us an idea."

He rolled up Louise's sleeve on her left arm and put on the "Pip Boy' and as soon as the arm clamped closed, suddenly the large glass lit up with a bright amber light. Despite herself, Louise felt her eyes widen at the sight. That was about it however. Too many other things diluting this odd thing for her.

Mitchell's eyes seemed to be scanning something on it, the movement of his eyes were as if he were reading a book. "Well, so far so good. No internal bleeding, no toxins, no broken bones. Hm, sleep deprivation, mild starvation, and moderate dehydration though. I definitely recommend some bed rest and food and water. Other than that though..." He trailed off, the old man's gaze suddenly drawn to something that came up on the screen. His face scrunched as he read.

The grin slowly disappeared from his face."I… what the? What…" He began squinting at it. Then he tapped it, as if trying to check if something was off about it.

His eyes became wide as "Oh my… you." He turned to man who had been standing there the entire time. He hadn't said a word, but at the tone the doctor was using, both he and Louise were at apt attention.

"Go get the Radaway. It's right down the hallway, first door on the left." The man nodded and quickly rounded the corner without protest.

He turned back to face her, a serious expression on his face. "Ah hell. Louise I don't know how to tell you this, but you're suffering radiation poisoning."

She had no idea what that meant. Radee ashon? That sounded like something a whore would name herself."…what?"

"Radiation poisoning. I don't know what you were doing, but according to this, you got about a hundred rads in you and..." He looked at the Pip Boy again, his face frowning.

"Is… is it still climbing? How in the... Louise, are you sure you didn't come from a vault?" He asked.

"No." Her voice was light and timid, coming out in a tone barely above a whisper.

He grunted. "Well that don't make a lick a sense. Nothing but a Vault Dweller could be this goddamn allergic to radiation. I should know. If we weren't getting sick from diseases from the wasteland, we were getting sick from the background radiation everywhere. Some worse than others. I was lucky. All I had to do was avoid getting anything more serious than a cut. But you... your getting irradiated from just breathing and existing in this place."

She had no idea what a good majority of those words meant. The jargon he was using was so alien to her. Enough that she might have even laughed at some of the absurd things he was saying. But his foreboding tone and grim look clamped down hard on any levity she might have otherwise felt. She spoke in a shaky breath."W-what does that mean?"

"I-" Before the doctor could respond the man returned carrying what looked like a bag holding a sickly yellow substance in it. He quickly took it from him and turned back to her and began explaining.

"It means that you're far more susceptible to radiation. As hard as it was for me, I eventually adapted. But others... others just couldn't. You're showing a textbook case of radiation allergy. Harmful rad levels mean something different when it comes to Wastelanders and Vault Dwellers. Wasters been living with the rads for a long time and they've long since adapted to it. Dwellers haven't. Dwellers are 'pure' so to speak, but that ain't a good thing. Hell, we could barely stand the conventional diseases, without the radiation making us weaker. And now, with these rad levels, your immune system might already be shot to hell...dammit, I need to get this started..."

Louise just numbly nodded. She barely even reacted to the prick the doctor gave her as he inserted the tube into her arm. Honestly at this point, her mind was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with everything she had experienced, and learned withing the last hour. Everything was turning into even more of a blur even as the process of removing the rads or whatnot began. She barely noticed. The only thing she had truly understood in that ramble of information that she was sick, and likely was going to get even more sick from something she couldn't even understand.

She bowed her head, and the exhausted Valliere silently began praying to Brimir for her to get through the days to come.

* * *

 **Yep. Louise is 'allergic' to radiation. I know I'm pulling some real scientific BS about that, but considering the artistic license the series takes with radiation in the first place, namely still being around after 200 years and freaking GHOULS, and that merely 400 rads is enough to kill IRL, etc. I'm willing to indulge in a little myself. That and I always found it a bit odd that more Vault Dwellers, who are stated repeatedly that they suffer no mutations from being sealed inside Vaults, don't suffer from suddenly putting up all the diseases and rads they aren't used to from living in a sterile environment. Granted Mitchell's wife did, but still… I wanted to add at least some realism to it.**

 **It always did bug me as well in RS that biology on another world doesn't come into play more often. I understand the reasons mind, but still. It's something I want to play around with, and to expand upon on how much that would change things.**

 **Yeah, Louise is not in for a pleasant ride…**


	4. A Clean Face III

Doc Mitchell was silent as the last of the Radaway was fed into the vain of the pink haired girl. She hadn't said anything in quite a while, instead opting to stare blankly. Though in a way it was a blessing as well. Good thing too, that wall would have been very boring otherwise.

He didn't know what to really think of her. She showed all the signs of coming from a vault, and yet she seemed downright ignorant of the concept. Her clothes were certainly odd and added to the mystery surrounding her. They weren't Vault jumpsuits, which was obvious, but they didn't have the years of wear and tear and constant patch jobs that were common in the wasteland. Looked downright brand new. And Mitchell had been around long enough to know what counted as such in the wastes.

And simple biology pointed to such as well. She was far too sensitive to the radiation levels of this earth for her to be anything other than a Vault Dweller. The only clues he had about her was that she came from a place called Tristain and had a French accent. That wasn't much for even the most dedicated of busy bodies. And that wasn't even getting started on her odd choice of hair color. He occasionally found himself going on odd internal tangents about where she found the dye amount needed to get such a thorough and even color.

All in all, the girl was an odd one. But she was still someone who needed help. They didn't shy away from helping two others before and Mitchell knew he couldn't turn her away in good conscience.

That being said, there was no doubt some people would be suspicious of her. Ringo had led them into a fight withe Powder Gangers, and though they won that fight, Mitchell was worried if people might start having second thoughts about taking in more people. It was-

"So how is she?"

Mitchell jumped a little as the dark skinned man spoke. Swiveling his head he came face to face with the man's dark brown eyes. For a six footer, he knew how to be silent when he wanted to.

Collecting himself Mitchell spoke. "Well, she's got a sensitivity to rads only held by Vault Dwellers, but she has no idea what Vaults even are, and I could go into some rather long winded rants about that one. But staying on medical topics, she's got some oncoming malnutrition and moderate dehydration, sunburns all along her body, and now with these rads, an infection from those wounds is likely. Hell, her getting a splinter could lead to blood poisoning. Or tetanus. Or possibly getting asthma from just breathing on a particularly windy day. I can give you a full list if you want." He said idly as he reached for a stimpak on the shelf.

He sighed as he looked a the device in his hand. "I was hoping to avoid using these, but the antibiotics will help her fight off any germs that managed to get in before I got to it . I wouldn't normally do this, but we're dealing with a special case here." He explained. He grabbed the bottle of alcohol and poured some into a glass before setting the needle if the stimpak inside as it was sterilized.

"Could there be a possibility of an allergic reaction with the Radaway?" He asked making Mitchell look back in surprise. That had been a good point.

He nodded. "That is a possibility. Using the same drug over and over again might make the body see it as a pathogen. If she takes so much of it, who's to say her body wont start rejecting that? I've seen that happen before, and it's not a pretty sight. We'll just have to hope for the best."

The man seemed to look at the girl intently, a look Mitchell couldn't place in his eyes.

"You're not thinking of taking her with you… are you?"

The man slowly turned his head, giving Mitchell a stoic look, but one that radiated bewilderment nonehteless."…no. Her best chance is to stay here. It's mostly stable and out of the way, and a stop for traders. If she can earn her keep here then she should have no trouble getting money for the medicine she needs. Taking her with me would cause nothing but even more uncertainty to everything." He said in a slightly scolding tone.

Mitchell was silently berating himself. That had been a rather embarrassing suggestion.

"Well, in any case I'll put in an order for some more medicine. The Followers I hear are some of the few people capable of actually making Radaway and Rad-X. But even then the girls future isn't set in stone to put it mildly. She's hardly the only one who needs help after all."

He sighed in frustration. It truly was not being able to adequately help someone. he may have learned to accept so many years ago, but all the same.

"Now what about you? How have you been feeling?" Mitchel asked, wanting to get an update on his other patient, his eyes flicking to the scar tissue on his skull.

"Mostly good. I had a dizzy spell as I came into the house. All of my limbs and extremities are still working correctly at least. I'll wait for tomorrow to make a more informed decision."

Mitchell smiled. "Glad to see somebody actually follow doctors order's for change. Besides's the lazy that is. Usually people brush us off and then wonder why they nearly dies or get another wound."

The man grinned. "Indeed"

Mitche'lls eyes widened slightly in gave a sly smile of his own before turning back towards the girl.

* * *

Louise still sat in the chair long after Doc Mitchell had left. Her mind was still trying to fully process the absolute barrage of sights, sensations and new people she had encountered in the last half hour.

Radee ashion… that bizarre sounding word was the thing that was at this very moment killing her. At least that was what she had been told. True, they could have been making it all up for some bizarre and inane reason, but a part of her realized that was just a form of wishful thinking. Why would they lie about something and then use medicine on her if it wasn't real? From what she had seen during her trek to this place gave her the impression of a barren place with scarce supplies. She may not have made it her study, but she felt medicine wasn't something you waste of nothing.

No… no matter how much she wanted to delude herself, this was a real threat. An invisible death on this world that she was more vulnerable to than the natives. Honestly, a part of her wondered if she did something so sinful that Birimir Himself decided to punish her. It would certainly explain a great deal of what has been happening to her thus far.

"Excuse me, Louise?"

Mitchell's voice had caused her to jolt a little and she looked up at him. She noticed though that he was standing an unusual distance away for a conversation. What was he doing?

"Listen, I can't say for certain I fully understand you. Your clear ignorance of the world is something strange, But whatever the reason for it, you need to learn some things if you wanna survive." He said, his expression that of a professor demanding full attention.

"First off, with regards to the radiation, try and keep your distance from other living things. We're practically living walking radiation sponges at this point, sort of like Glowing Ones. In your case, I'd say, ten feet should be a good enough distance."

Ten feet from other people, no LIVING THINGS? She had no Founder damn idea what a Glowing One was, the distance restriction was overriding what ever questions she had about that.

"I know, It'll be a right pain in the behind, but you need to take all the precautions there is. Your life is going to depend on Radaway and how often you can keep your supply of it up. Taking steps to give you more time is worth the effort. Still, even the most severe case of radiation allergy was never this bad. Almost like your getting some extra doses from something. How did you-"

He stopped talking his eyes landing on something of importance.

"Ah dammit. Haven't had to worry about it for so long, It's made me rusty to the simplest of details. That blood you got on your shoes, THAT's what's been giving you the extra doses." He explained as he walked over and deftly took the shoes off her feet. He quickly backpedaled, as fast his limping leg would allow, holding her shoe up. Indeed, there was a piece of that first group of bugs she encountered still on her shoe, the now hardened green splotches having been lost in her mind for some time now.

She really could have died due to that?

"Secondly, try and keep yourself clean of other's bodily fluids. It's just as radioactive as the entire part of it. You got any other splotches of bodily fluids on you?"

"I don't think so…"

He tossed the shoes aside, them clattering against a wall. "Not good enough. What else did you kill that might have gotten blood on you?"

"Just some fly things. That's all I killed. They started shooting some things at me out their butt so I blew some of them up. I was facing them so if you can't see any more on me I think I'm clean."

At the mention of the bugs Mitchell's face scrunched in disgust."Ugh, Bloatflies. Nasty things, even if they ain't that dangerous. What exactly happened?"

She yawned before responding. Her eyelids felt heavy as she explained. "I blew two of them up, that's how I got those pieces on me. One was injured and fell to the ground. Then a scorpion, a smaller one, came and started tearing It apart before eating it. I didn't watch anymore after that…" She shivered again at the bug's screeches as it was tore apart. As disgusting at the things were, she had nearly been on the receiving end of that herself and actually felt some sympathy for the thing. Just barely.

Mitchell gave her an odd look again, but she didn't know why. "Hm. Well in any case, I'll need to give you a quick look over. And I do mean quick. Just to be sure."

Louise, not really having much options complied, albeit reluctantly.

The doctor was keeping his word and was moving as quick as he could, his eyes rapidly going over her form in a professional and concise manner.

"Well, good news it looks like your clothes are indeed blood free, but to be frank, they ain't gonna do much for protection, or anything else for practicality. If I were you, I'd trade them in for some caps and more reliable clothes."

Louise, hearing that suggestion again, sighed. "Trading in my clothes? You are the second person to suggest that!' She actually managed to raise her voice that time.

He shrugged. "Well, they look in good condition… for now. Fine material like that, I'd imagine Chet in the general store could give you a decent price for them. City girls, or some country bumpkins might like the idea of feeling pretty… though admittedly the small size would be an issue, but they could make some high quality pieces out of them. And just who told that before? You came out of the middle of nowhere." Mitchell questioned.

Well... they weren't NCR. She didn't see much harm in divulging that information. "A man named Lorcan and his cohorts."

"Lorcan? Lorcan Teauge? You ran into The Lost?"

She shrugged. "I didn't know who they were. But I encountered them while they fighting a group call the NCR."

Mitchell's eyes widened slightly, a sudden look of nervousness coming over him. "Oh hell… You didn't help them did you?"

"No! I only stumbled upon them as they were fighting but I hid. They found me and I was… well, not forced to watch, the leader ordered my eyes covered for that, but they killed the one person they took alive. I had nothing to do with that fight, I didn't kill anybody!" She frantically explained.

The doctor was giving her hard look, scrutinizing her probably to see if she was telling the truth. The old man's eyes taking on a hardness she didn't like. Suddenly the kindly old man that had been in her presence was gone, that look speaking of hard experiences. Her already dry throat now feeling as if the entire desert had found it's way there.

He stared at her for an unsettling amount of time before finally they softened. "Hmm. Well, for all of our sake you better be telling the truth. We've already had one person drag our town into something we had nothing to do with."

She sighed in relief. "That's why they didn't follow me if that helps. Lorcan said that was why they couldn't escort me to this town in case another group of them followed the tracks here. He didn't want to implicate Goodsprings."

The doctor grinned at the news. "Heh. Awfully nice of him. Always did wonder what happened to him to make him hate the NCR as much as he does. He was always polite to us, and he never really did seem the type for violence. Even if he does have the face of a thug." Mitchell explained.

Still feeling a bit rattled form the look he gave her Louise asked a question hoping to move on. "Was he a resident here?"

Mitchell shook his head. "Oh no. He was a frequent visitor though. I had a few conversations with him here and there and I was honestly surprised when I found he started a gang called The Lost. Bunch a people with a chip on their shoulder for the NCR. I can't say for certain if it's deserved or not though. I can't deny they've done stuff to build a less than savory reputation with the Mojave. Maybe it's something like Bitter Springs…" The doctor mused

She had no idea what 'Bitter Springs' meant, but the name itself spoke little of anything good. Just more politics of this world, and she was barely picking this much up. She already made up her mind: She wasn't getting involved.

"Hopefully, they will understand if they come here. But even then, you did nothing wrong. Hopefully if they come snooping around they'll see that. They should. NCR does have a lot of decent folks in it. But I can't rule out problems from you arriving here. They also got a lot of pushy people in them, and well, I'm not gonna lie: Goodsprings already got in a fight over sheltering someone. But even that was against a bunch of thugs. Soldiers on the other hand..."

There was a thoughtful silence from him for a moment.

"Well, hopefully nothing will come of it. For now, let's just wait on that Radaway to work it's way through your system. After that, you should probably get something to eat and drink. And something other than sugar bombs. All that sugar on an empty stomach? Nothing good will come of that." Mitchell explained.

Louise let out another yawn.

"How long will that take?"

"Not too long. You should start feeling the ahem, 'call of nature' when it's ready."

'Call of nature'? Was that? No… Oh Founder, she could already tell she wasn't going to enjoy this...

"Once it's done, we'll work on getting some food and drink in ya. And then on getting you some jobs here."

Louise was silent, a new worry in her mind.

Mitchell walked out of sight, then returned with a strange looking contraption with a needle on it.

"Now, Before I forget, let's get this simpak out of the way."

* * *

In a few minutes after he warned her, and after he administered the strange medicine known as a 'stimpak ' to her leg and chin, Louise was forced to heed the 'call of nature'. In less tactful terms, that meant squatting over a bucket and peeing what felt like her entire body weight in water.

That said, she was thankful it was just urine and not something like diarrhea. Though the volume she had expelled was not something she had enjoyed. Where did all of that even come from? She was dehydrated for Founder's sake!

When she was done she looked around, only to find some odd paper... things. They looked like small green brown pieces of paper with what looked like barely readable numbers and faces on them. Well It was better than nothing Regardless, Louise did her business and went on her way.

When she exited and returned to Mitchell, he gave her a knowing and sympathetic look. "I know, Radaway itself could be considered enough of a deterrent for getting radiation. I still get flashbacks to my early days outside the Vault whenever I go in that room…" He shuddered at the mention of them.

"But at least you bought yourself some time. But..."

"It's just delaying the inevitable, is that it?" Louise finished.

"…yes. Yes it is. You're still picking up radiation just by being here, but if you learn to manage it, and not have a constant source of it on ya, I think we can work something out. Remember, I've had to deal with cases like this before. Long time ago mind you, but it's still in my head."

"And just how many who were allergic to radee ashon survived?" She asked bitterly.

"Now don't think like that. More of them are still alive today than you might think. Now admittedly, they do have specials needs because of their allergy, but it's still possible. And who knows, you might get lucky and eventually gain a resistance to it. That's what happened to me."

She yawned. "And how long did that take?"

"A fair amount of years. Around thirty after I first set foot in the wasteland. I still think most of us got off easy. But let's not talk too much about that. Your eyelids look like they're trying to relocate to the floor. Let's get some water in you, and I think you should at least take a nap, sleep some of this day off."

She wanted to say so much more. But her exhaustion was slowly claiming her, another yawn not helping her will at all, with every second and in her state she was forced to comply once more.

"Let's get this over with…" She said, her voice matching her feet in the audible drag.

The first order of business was getting water in her, but only in sips. Thankfully Mitchell had purified clean water, although that was a relative term for her, and he was strict about her only taking sips, lest her stomach decided to return it to her in a foul manner.

That was a problem he had explained to her though. EVERYTHING in this world was contaminated with 'radee ashon' from the food and water, the beds she would have to sleep on. And she wasn't used to any of it at all. But it would have to do. She was far too tired to care at this point. Even with the hunger starting to cause pains in her abdomen. She sipped the last of her water down before being guided to a bed she could lay down on.

It was smelly, lumpy, stained, and apparently covered in radee ashon, but her exhaustion ensured she was asleep in one minute of laying down, the old smell of the mattress being the last sensation before darkness claimed her.

* * *

The pink haired girl awoke with a frightened yelp, her eyes wide and her heart racing in her chest. Her eyes began scanning the room rapidly before landing on a figure and locking on. Her breathes came out rapidly, her hands gripping the bed.

'Whoa, easy there! Your safe Louise, calm down!" Mitchell exclaimed, the chair he was sitting in being pushed back a little from the speed in which he got up.

Her eyes stayed locked on him as kept his distance. As soon as her faculties came back to her.

"…Sorry…." She bowed her head and brought her knee's close to her.

"Yeah, I figured that would happen. You were tossing and turning quite a bit in your sleep. Mumbling… didn't sound pleasant. And you were crying a bit too."

"Crying?" She asked. She brought her hand to her face and indeed there was some moisture under her eyes.

"Oh…"

Mitchell sighed in sympathy. "I know. The first days out of my Vault were nothing but fear. My home had been taken from me and I was forced into the unknown, with only stories of what was waiting for us out there. Maybe you're not from a Vault, and I can just barely accept that, but I have a feeling that's close to the situation for you isn't it?"

He looked at her expectantly. It was... sweet of him, what he was doing. She supposed she should count herself that someone was taking an interest in her well being. Someone other than a gang member.

"…yes. It's a bit more complicated than that though. It's however a very outlandish situation, one that I myself can hardly accept, and I know it's true." She stated.

"Well, would it explain why you don't know some of the basic basics of the wasteland?" Mitchell mused.

She she tell him? Would he even believe her? "It… well… like I said, it's not something that I think you will even believe. Forgive me for withholding it, But I do not feel comfortable talking about it."

"Well, alright, fair enough. Your business is your own. But what exactly are you going to do? I have sympathy for you, believe me, but you got to understand, the medicine I gave you isn't cheap. Now don't worry, the first one was one the house, but given your condition, going on past experience, you're probably going to end up with another need for a dose in about a week, week and a half if you manage to avoid any large doses of radiation. How were planning on earning the money?"

"Well, Lorcan said that there were some odd jobs here in town that would be suitable."

"Yeah, there is. Just be warned though, it can vary from day to day depending on how much travelers come through here. You might not get even get full pay from Trudy, assuming she hires you, some days. Though I suppose you can do what our guest courier did and help out with some ranch hands around town. I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

Louise nodded. Hardly the most glorious work, but it would do if she managed to get enough currency to keep herself medicated and fed and sheltered she would take it. But what about lodging?

"Is there an inn I could stay at?" Wait... She didn't even have any money! How would she even be able to afford a room? Gah!

"No, not in this town. Primm, a town a ways south of here, maybe, but then again, the Bison Steve wasn't exactly good, even by wasteland standards. But I got some spare beds in this here house. I'll only have to kick you out if I get a sudden influx of bite victims from Geckos, but even as numerous as they are rarely require serious treatment so think you should be fine."

She nodded. She had a bed and lodging. Already this place seemed like something she never wanted to leave, and the bed smelled horrible to her!

"Chet might be a bit of a stickler though. Town under threat from raiders and he still hesitated about giving the defenders some leather armor. Though that courier managed to persuade him. I think him heard him mutter 'idiot slap' about him. Chet's a good guy, but he can be a bit too… materialistic sometimes." Mitchell said.

She scowled. A merchant. Lovely.

A sudden look came over Mitchell however.

"That reminds me. Try and win people over. After the Powder Gangers came knocking for Ringo, people might be wary having another stranger in town so soon. Especially with some… eccentricities about her."

She shifted uncomfortably. Not just because part of what he said sounded like gibberish to her, but he was right.. She was in an unknown in a hostile place. She had a very distinct feeling that going around ordering people would not get her far.

"Now I'm not saying walk on eggshells, but be polite, and do go looking for trouble and people should warm up to you quick enough. Sunny Smiles is the one you want watching your back. She's our main outdoors gal along with her dog Chyenne. Keeps the town clear of critters for the most part. Good friends with Trudy, the saloon owner. You get Sunny on your side, Trudy should come around eventually. And you get Trudy on your side, everyone else will feel safer. She's the person people look up to in this town. Not quite a leader, but close."

Louise needed to start. "I am feeling well enough to walk. If you would allow it, I would like to get started on finding some work."

"Well sure. Probably best to get started on finding work as soon as possible. Those rads ain't gonna wait and neither should you." He stated.

"Here, put these boots on. Should tide you over until we get that gunk washed off your shoes."

She took them and slipped them on. Surprisingly they fit and with the motivation properly set she grabbed her wand and followed him as he walked out the door.

* * *

The inside of the house was hardly dark, the various windows only barely covered by boards, but when she stepped out it felt like she had stepped from a pitch black room to a fire in her face and her eyes having a burning sting to match that description. She instantly closed them, but the sun shone through her eyelids regardless and her pupil was in silent agony. She had to physically turn away from it until the light slowly got to a manageable level and she was able, though still squinting, to gaze onto the town properly.

It was ramshackle by any standards. A lone windmill stood in the center overlooking the sleepy town of what looked like old buildings with some patchwork on them. A gust of errant wind send some dirt into the air, even making a small swirl of it between the row of buildings off to her left. There was a few people out and about, some were tending to crops inside some fenced areas and she could see some livestock, albeit one's she had never seen before, milling about just outside the town with some people watching over them. For just a moment she could believe she was back on her own world. This was the very picture of a commoner village. But she was reminded that it wasn't so by some odd looking light coming from the farthest building on her left.

"Welcome to Goodsprings Louise. Not Vegas standards but I hope you can find it to your liking. The local wildlife are quite attracted to the color pink as well." Mitchell said with a chuckle.

Oh ha ha.

"All joking aside the saloons the farthest building on the left. Trudy runs it. Come on I'l introduce you... actually wait, you met her before. She was the one who brought you in." Mitchell said

Really? Louise tried placing her in her mind but she couldn't. All she got was a tailless scorpion and loud ringing in her ears.

He noticed her confused look."Well you were under a lot of stress at the time so I'm not surprised. Let's get going, I don't think wasting too much time would be in your interest."

The reminder of what was at stake was all the prodding she needed. She quickly got in line behind him when he spoke up.

"Remember to keep a distance from people." He said casually. Oh... right. She waited for him to hobble a few more steps before resuming her gait. As they passed their first building on their left, Mitchell explained what it was.

"That's the general store. Chet runs it. Right next door is Trudy's." Mitchell listed off. Louise barely heard him. Her attention was focused on the sight on top of the saloon.

The strange looking lights atop it. There were normal painted letters on the building that said 'Prospecter' but the words right next to it 'Saloon' were hardest to make out. Mainly due to being an outlandish and foreign design. They were made of metal with a variety of colors making them stand out against the brown building. The Prospector Saloon... she had no idea what to make of this other than gawking at it.

Until Mitchell urged her on. "Come one kid, you can admire the place after we're done." Mitchell said gesturing to the door held open to the 'saloon'.

With that she gave one last look at it before going past him into the open door.

When she stepped inside, and a good ways from him as he reminded her, she was surprised to find it dark. Very dark. Inf act, she was surprised that Mitchell seemed oblivious to it. Well, that was before she saw him looking at her with a smile that was radiant even in this darkness.

"Pupil dilatation. That reminds me, we need to get you some sunglasses. The sun is hell on eye sight, maybe not right away but I can confirm that it does eventually catch up with you." Mitchell said, squinting for emphasis.

She only barely resisted the urge to snort. She'd had that happen to her, but this was ridiculous. Either the sun here was naturally stronger or that radee ashion was doing something to her, because it felt like she had been staring at for too long.

Not that she had ever done that...

Shaking her head of the thoughts she quickly followed Mitchell around the corner. Behind it was a woman with dark hair and a very plain looking dress by Louise's standards, standing behind a bar with some patrons sitting at chatting away . As soon as she came into view she could feel their gazes lock onto her and the suspicion they had struck her. Ignoring the urge to stare back at the people, she turned her attention to Trudy and Mitchell.

"Hello Trudy." Mitchell greeted with a nod of his head.

"Hey Doc. Hell of a morning wasn't it?"

"Sure was. Poor Sunny's gonna have a heck of a time moving that bug outta stinking range. Might have to cut it up and move it as pieces."

"No kidding. Not often giant radscoprions come into town. But I suppose we have you to thank for that." She said, turning her attention to Louise.

Louise flinched, and started to come up with an apology, but Trudy cut her off.

"Relax, I'm not mad. After the Powder Ganger's a dumb bug is a breeze. Though our friend had a lot to do with both of those, so maybe I shouldn't get too complacent."

Powder Gangers? She may have just noticed that now, but what a ridiculous name.

"Anyway, what brings you here? Looked like you could barely stand last I saw you."

"Well, I'll spare you the whole story right now but suffice to say, this girl is in need of a job."

The woman scoffed. "Wait really? You come barging into town tailed by a scorpion just so you can take up waiting a bar in the middle of nowhere?"

Well, when one put it that way... no that was spot on.

"Yes." She affirmed with a nod.

She stared at the pinkette before she let out a chuckle."Well I gotta admit, that's a first. But why? Working at a bar ain't exactly a thing most people trek across the wasteland to do."

"I'll cut right to the chase. She's got some medical issues, one that'll costs money to keep in check. She needs a job." Mitchell explained.

"Hmm. Well, the road north to Vegas still gets some traffic from the more courageous merchants, fast track if you steer clear enough of Fiend territory. With the road between Nipton and Mojave outpost having critters encroach again, we've been getting a bit more customers than usual. Merchants gotta take whatever they can get. I suppose I could take on a waitress and... wait, these medical issues, they aren't contagious are they?"

"No no, nothing like that. In fact it's the other way around. But she doesn't have many options. She'll need the medicine"

Trudy raised a surprised eyebrow. A brief look of concern once again passed over her. "Well... I don't see why not. But I'm not sure I'll be able to provide enough to. What kinda drugs are we talking about?"

"Radaway. And some Rad-X. And It might be a repeat buy."

Trudy winced. "Oof, that might be just a little out of my price range. Even with the increase in buyers, I don't think I'll be able to hand out enough caps to cover those. You might want to consider getting another job kid."

Louise had been expecting something like that.

"If you wanna get your hands dirty, the ranchers and farmers could always use some help looking after their herds and tending to their gardens. Hell, Sunny Smiles would definitely appreciate any help moving t hat damn bug outta the town's range, not to mention all the hunting she does. Can get a decent price for meat and hides. I'm not so sure Chet is looking for any help though. Man is a merchant through and through and he might view you as a pointless drain on caps." Trudy explained

Well, she knew that. She never had any good experiences with goods merchants. Damn glorified thieves most of the time.

"I will accept regardless... but... I might not be able to work today." She finished uneasily.

She nodded. "Sure kid. I understand. Not much happening here today anyway and we don't need you dropping everything cause you're too weak. Come back bright and early tomorrow and I'll get you started."

"You're really going to hire her Trudy?" A man asked, giving Louise a dirty look. She looked at him at the other end of the bar with two others.

"We've already had one gunfight over a stranger, she better not cause any trouble here. Is she?" Another said. The third was just silent, but he was looking at the girl with annoyance.

There was some grumbling and a few more looks sent her way making the girl flinch. Out of fear and guilt. As much as she wanted to yell at them, she couldn't deny that she very well could.

A look was passed between Trudy and Mitchell, the man's head nodded and the woman's eyes narrowing slightly. Louise had a feeling what it was about.

The woman eventually sighed. 'She's working here and that's that. I don't want to hear any more about it. Understood?" She said, eyeing them with a final look.

After another bout of grumbling and just barely acceptance Mitchell led her outside, the girl sulking slightly after what had happened.

"See? That wasn't so bad. Got a job out of it at least."

She shook her head. "You heard that right? They don't trust me." She said.

"They're just a bit frazzled. Town's been quiet for a long time and now all this commotion in the last days has people just a bit more excitable."

Louise paused. "And if the NCR _does_ come here?" She said softly.

He paused as well."Well, we'll work it out. If you didn't do anything like you said, I'm sure they'll leave you alone. Now let's get back t you business."

Louise, wanting to move on as well agreed."She said she wasn't able to provide enough to pay for my medicine."

"Well that's true. Like she said, the ranchers and farmers could use some help. It might be a bit physically demanding, but unless you got a storage of caps lying around I'm not seeing much else options for you."

He was right, much as Louise was loath to admit it. The most physical labor she had done in her life was carrying her stuff around the Academy due to her lacking the flotation magic her classmates had. A bit more than one would think actually, but she knew it couldn't compare to the work commoners did. Even the ones in the Academy probably had more muscle than her, let alone the ones that did farm work. But still, hard as it was going to be it was better than trying to survive out in the wild. She would just have to endure, as Mitchell had been repeating, she had very little choice.

"In fact, our resident knight in shining armor has taken it up as well."

The phrase caused her to tilt her head. "Wait, you have a knight? Why would a knight be in this village?"

"... It was a figure of speech Louise." he said raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh..." Darn.

"Well as I was saying, the man who saved you is doing some farm work right now." He said pointing.

True enough, the man was tending to a garden in a fenced off area. The last she had seen of the man he ripped the tail off of a scorpion and now he was doing menial farm work as if nothing had happened. It was odd to her. He was a warrior, that much was obvious, so why do this?

"Him? Louise asked perplexed.

"Well given the state of the world, even the most dedicated of farmhands had to learn how to handle themselves, but even I gotta admit, he seems to have had a very... different occupation before. Heck, I don't even think being a courier would lend it self to riding scorpions. I just don't know..."

"He Knew how and where those troublemakers would approach. Had a... brutal way of dispatching them as well. We hardly even needed the rest of the town. He's a man with good experience of what the wasteland has to offer, I can tell you that. Sunny actually considered 'teaching' him, but he polity turned her down. She thought he was jumped by some no name amateurs, but it was the Khans. Made a lot more sense after he told us that. Great Khans are though bastards and there were five of them. Gave them a good fight though, more than one was walking away with some cuts and bruises, and I even hear than man in the checkered suit who was leading them got blood spilled on it. But five though as nails bastards against one, reality has a way of setting in. They beat him, bound him,and eventually shot him in the head."

Louise listened as the exploits of the man were listed off. He was certainly an intriguing individual... but Louise had a feeling he would be gone by tomorrow. He was a courier after all. They weren't known for staying in one place. The man worked on, heedless of their conversation.

"Well in any case how about we-"

"Howdy partners!"

The sudden voice behind the pair caused them to jump, Mitchell painfully so, and Louise let out a yelp spinning on her heels.

What greeted her was a blue colored metal abomination with a stylized human face wearing a hat and smoking a cigarette in the upper part of it's body. It seemed to be shimmering as if it weren't actually there. Two strange looking arms were at it's ides, and had three metal claws on them both. What in founder's name was this thing!? What kind of golem was this!? Was there a person trapped in there!? Was that why it had a face!? Louise felt her hands reach for her wand, the uncanny looking feature that... _thing_ had unnerving her greatly.

"Whoah take it easy there, just old Vic Doc." The voice rang out. Ugh. Louise could feel her face scrunching slightly. The metallic and oddly tinged voice was grating to her ears.

She looked at him, but his look was one that left no room for argument. Mitchell gestured for her to be calm. She really wanted to blast this thing, but Mitchell had proven trustworthy so far. If he thought he could handle it, she would let him. "Hello Victor." Mitchell said, though it had a slight scolding tone to it.

"Right sorry about sneaking up on ya there. Thought I always made enough noise to alert everyone in a country mile." The thing, 'Victor' said.

"Don't worry about it, mistakes happen. Nice to see you again Victor, you rarely come away from your shack." Mitchell said. Louise coud pick up more than a little bit of forced sheer in his tone.

"Heh. Likewise saw bones. Now who's this?" The thing said gesturing to Louise, causing the girl to shrink back. She didn't want this. Oh Founder above, this thing was creeping her out. That face... it was just too easy to imagine someone being trapped in there.

"When did this little lass wander into town? Never seen her around these parts before. Or her hair. It tends to stand out in the seas of brown."

"Victor, everyone in town heard the commotion. How have did you miss that?"

"Was out for a stroll. Goodsprings seems to be quite the location for people in need these days. First I dig up that poor soul from the grave and now a little one like you walks into town?"

If that thing called her little one more time...

"Well more being chased by a radscorpion. And being saved by a man you dug up from the grave a couple days back." Mitchell said.

"Hoo wee, he doesn't waste any time getting back in the saddle does he?"Louise winced at the voice. It sounded like an electricity spell being forced through a tube and made into a voice!

"No he certainly doesn't. I'm sorry Victor, but we have some business we need to get to. No offense."

"Aw shucks, didn't mean to interrupt ya. Just wanted to introduce myself to the young lady here." It said, turning slightly towards her.

Well... at the very least it was polite enough... still Founder damn creepy in her opinion though. Whatever created this thing deserved to be burned. Nevertheless it wasn't insulting her and she did not want to antagonize it.

"My name is Louise. Louise de la Valliere. Pleasure to meet you." She said, that same forced sheer creeping into her voice as Mitchell had not too long ago.

"Likewise. Well, I figure I best mosey on and let you two finish your business. Have a fine rest of the day!." The thing said before, with surprising grace, turned and rode away on it's one wheel, kicking up a small trail of dust.

When she was sure it was far enough away she turned to Mitchell.

"What in founder's name was that?" She hissed under her breath just to be sure that thing didn't hear them.

"That was Victor. Town's local owner-less Securtitron robot. He's been here a while and no one knows all that much about him. And to be honest... well,..."

"What? Is he dangerous?" She asked, eyeing the traveling thing.

"No, no, nothing like that. But I have to agree with Trudy when she says there's something off about him. I just get the sense there's more to him than what's at face value. Sorta like you." He said, making her shrink slightly.

"But enough about that. We've got you a job. It's a start, but I think we should explore a few more opportunities before calling it a day."

Louise nodded and followed a ways behind him. But as she did, she had to confirm something.

"So... there wasn't anybody trapped inside that thing?"

Mitchell stopped, and then slowly turned his head towards the girl, an utterly perplexed look on his face.

In the garden not far away, though his head was down, the man was quietly laughing.

* * *

Well, the rest of the day had gone well enough. Louise found herself with a job at least. The only other one that had come up was helping a woman named Sunny Smiles patrol the town and keep it clear of 'critters' as they called them. Which included giants bugs on that list. Ugh. Still Beggars couldn't be choosers, and Sunny had assured her that the animals around here weren't all that dangerous and more of a nuisance. However, it seemed that the distrust of her was more prominet among the local ranchers and farmers. None of them were all that willing to let her work for them. So that just left her with hunting.

That, however, led to another activity she would have to contend herself with: Learning how to shoot this worlds brand of muskets. She still remembered the pistol the man wielded. She had far too many pressing concerns at the moment to truly think about the implications of such a weapon. Her home only had simply flintlock and black powder weapons that were already inaccurate and had long reloads to boot. Plenty of time for a skilled mage, or even a commoner soldier, to finish the gun wilder off. Now? This world's weapons could fire multiple shots without reloading,, were much more accurate, and reloading took all of three seconds for the skilled ones.

She may have believed in the holy Founder with all of her being, but she wasn't stupid either. She knew damn well her gallivanting off into the great unknown for any reason was likely to result in her dying. And that was even if she had working magic. As it stood right now, all she wanted was to stay here. Her summoning spell brought her here, why wouldn't she try it again until it brought her home?

She felt she made a good enough impression on the people here so far, and they seemed friendly enough despite some voiced suspicions, but any further thoughts of hers was interrupted by Mitchell as they sat in his house, the doctor glad to be sitting again.

"Well we got you a job today. Another prospective job, once you learn how to shoot. It'll be close, but I think we might have what we need. I have for at least one more on the house dose, until we can get you and your reputation with the town sorted out." He said smiling.

It was close. She was grateful for his help, Founder knows she wouldn't have survived otherwise.

"Now then, what exactly is your long term plans?"

"Well... I was thinking of just staying here. It seems like a quiet enough town and that's really what I want right now. If it's okay with you."

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. Goodsprings was never known for overcrowding. If you can prove your worth to people they'll welcome you as a permanent resident with open arms."

Well... That was settled then. For the time being Goodsprings was going to be her home, and Founder damn all other things. Especially those giant bugs... she shuddered at the memory. But as long as she could maintain a good relationship with the people here, shouldn't wouldn't have to wander anymore of this damn desert.

Suddenly Louise let out a long drawn out yawn causing Mitchell to chuckle once more.

"I think you'll need more than a couple hours nap young lady. How long have you gone without sleeping?"

That... actually sounded quite enticing. She let out another yawn before responding.

"Nearly a whole day. I tried to get some sleep earlier, but I just couldn't. I kept waking up."

"Well, you can get some now. Go on." He urged smiling.

"Oh and one more thing: I'll let you keep that Pip Boy on you. I think you have the most pressing medical needs of us all right now. I'll let ya know if I need it back, but for now hold onto it."

She looked at her left arm, only now just remembering she had this thing on for quite a while. Founder she needed to sleep. She was finding it hard to remember some obvious things.

Nodding gratefully nonetheless, the events of the day stacking again with the previous one, Louise dragged her feet to the nearest bed and gently laid down, yet kept her wand close.

The smell seeped into her nostrils again

However as she did, her eyes opened wide and she realized something she completely neglected, despite it's utmost importance.

She completely forgot how she was supposed to practice her magic!

She knew it was going to be a long time before she even got close to finding a way to get the summoning ritual to go her way. A long way full of explosions she wouldn't be able to hide.

She sighed. She should probably solidify their trust in the before she started using her magic. At the very least, try and explain it to Mitchell. He seemed to be the most helpful. And she could provide proof easy enough... but would they accept her? Would they reject her because of it? Magic didn't seem like it was commonplace on this world, if it even existed at all. She could very well be outcast for it, and given her current reputation with the town, that was likely. but she needed to do it. It was the only way.

With that plan in mind she laid back down on the bed hoping sleep would come.

It was about half an hour before sleep took over, sporadic images of her family delaying it considerably, the cries of her sister almost managing to echo in the silent of the room.

* * *

 **Oddly, this chapter was a bit difficult to write, even though I knew exactly what I wanted to have in it… hmm…**


	5. A Clean Face IV

Louise awoke with a bit of a start again, but it was far more subdued than yesterdays napping. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up in the bed, but her breaths weren't nearly as rapid as they had been before and she wasn't in a cold sweat. Just a regular old bad dream then. She could handle that.

She sighed. It was something at least. A good night's sleep since she actually got here helped. She stayed in that position a few moments longer before pulling her legs over the side of the bed, grunting in pain, and placing her head in her hands, her messy and greasing hair irritatingly falling over her shoulders. Her sunburns still ached, though it had dulled slightly. Not so much for her leg muscles. A day and a half of walking and running so much were making their effects known with the painful stiffness she had in her lower body. Wonderful.

And she only just now realized that she hadn't bathed in two days and that her hygiene was taking a hit. It probably already was before, but now with her senses no longer dulled by sleep, she realized how dirty she felt, her sweat and other bodily oils mixing into as if it was an uncomfortable cloth wrapped around her body. But she knew better than to ask for a bath. Desert and water equaled rationing of said water. She may not have been an outdoors girl, but that was just common knowledge.

She stayed on the edge of her bed, the first day of her starting work in this new world staring at her. Despite the necessity of the day, she still felt an old habit nagging at her. A bad habit. A lazy, sitting in bed habit. It wasn't until Mitchell came by that the urge to simply stay in bed faded.

"Ah good, you're up already. Here I thought you'd be sleeping in, but you're almost an hour early. Trudy doesn't open until eight o clock."

She was early? That was new.

Looking at him Louise sighed. "That's better than how I usually am. It used to be I was nearly late waking up every morning." Even during the most critical parts of school, Louise De la Valliere was never a morning person, and she usually found herself sleeping in. It was only her study ethic that prevented from being late more often than she was.

"Heh, people who have that are few and far between these days. Even city folk aren't known for being all that heavy sleepers." Mitchell said.

Not even cities warranted true peace at mind? Wonderful.

"Well in any case, you've got some time before Trudy opens up the Saloon for business. You should probably get something to eat. Just a few minutes up and I can already hear your stomach growling."

Another growl followed that statement to accentuate his point. Louise felt her blush light up the room.

Another smile was on the doctors face, his white mustache only just now grabbing Louise's attention. And only now did she truly notice how many wrinkles his face held. He truly did seem far older than she remembered.

"Come on, I don't think you want your reputation ruined by your own stomach being a nuisance. There's some food that Sunny brought up not too long ago. And don't worry. Consider it on the house." he said as he walked back to the kitchen.

Louise, battling still aching sunburns and stiffness got up with as much grace as she could manage. Which was about a horse with two lame legs, and some raw skin.

She walked through the house and once again, now that her mind was free of sleep deprivation, she began taking in a lot more details that had slipped her mind earlier and sent home just how odd this world was.

It was in a state of disrepair, similar to that building she took shelter in her first night here. Paint was peeling, cracks in the walls, a general sense of old age and decrepit was in full effect. The house seemed stable at least, but it made her think more about this world.

Why were they like this? Come to think of it, she had heard words like 'old world' and 'Wasteland' thrown around. With her newly cleared mind, the implications of those words were far clearer and far more terrifying to consider. What happened here? What made everything like… _this?_

Well, unfortunately, discussing this world in more depth would be a good thing to do. Granted, that would likely make her look far more odd than she already did, but that wasn't going to be a problem for much longer if she could help it.

Following the doctor down the hallways to another room, he limped over to another strange looking container like thing with a handle on it. Pulling it open Mitchell reached inside and pulled out a plate with what looked like some meat. The aroma, though slightly bitter, was enough to get her eager, her stomach rumbling again for her to start eating.

"Here. Some Gecko steak. Freshly cooked by Sunny. That dead bug is starting to attract scavengers, but at least were getting something good out of it. But before that…" He placed the meat on his table and right next to it was a bottle of an unknown liquid.

"This is Rad-X. This medicine will help increase your body's ability to resist radiation. I figured with that new job requiring you to be near people, it wouldn't hurt to have some extra protection. Not to mention protecting you while you eat some food. It should raise you rad resistance to just below that of an average Wastelander. For the time being at least. You'll still be absorbing rads, but at a much slower rate."

Louise stared at the drug vial in the doctor's hand. Really? That was all it took?

"If it's that effective, then why didn't you use that earlier?"

He sighed, and Louise suddenly felt a lecture coming, as if from a teacher.

.. she missed that.

"Because I don't have a lot of it. Louise, the most our town has ever had to deal with is the gecko and coyote bites, and the occasional radscorpion wandering into town. None of us ever venture into radiation hot zones. If I used this when you weren't going to be exceptionally vulnerable it would be a waste. You're going to have to be in close proximity around other people and we've already established why that's going to be a problem for you. Not to mention having enough to protect yourself while you eat and process food. I made a call to save this for when, for all intents and purposes, you _will_ be going into a hot zone. The bar yesterday was fairly empty, but mornings are usually far busier. Traders usually come and go in that time to avoid the heat, and trade while they can and set off before the hotter hours of the day. And it _is_ fairly expensive."

Oh. Of course it was. That was the whole reason of her getting a job after all.

"I can give you a small dose that should last for your entire shift. At least the morning part. Don't forget, we also got an evening shift to worry about."

Nodding, Louise silent held out her arm and let the doctor approach.

He dabbed the spot he was to prick with a cloth smelling of whisky and with just a little prick, the needle was In her arm and the substance injected straight into her vain.

Pulling the needle away, Mitchell smiled at her. "There. All done. Now how about getting some food in ya?"

Louise didn't need to be told twice. With barely restrained urge to grab the steak and simply stuffing the entire meat into her mouth, she picked up the fork and knife beside her and began carving the steak up into pieces. It was tougher than she was used to, the meat taking some effort to cut, of a gecko apparently and she only just realized what that bit of information entailed, IE larger than she was used to geckos. Nevertheless, she was able to get a piece more appropriate for her.

As soon as it made contact with her mouth, there were tears nearly sprung from her eyes, and her mouth began salivating a river. The smoked flavor was permeating her very being! Soon, she discarded the utensils and used her bare hands to hold the meat while she chewed with a strength she didn't know she possessed.

Mitchell meanwhile had a smile on his face and leaned back in his chair as he watch the girl eat with enthusiasm. She didn't really care how she appeared at the moment, she wanted food now!

"Not one for gecko meat myself. More of a coyote lover. Though I must admit, Gecko eyes are quite the delicacy. Too bad Sunny and Trudy like to eat them all..."

On any other occasion hearing that would have caused the girl to gag, but as it stood, her hunger was such that she kept eating. She had only heard the phrase 'hunger is food's best condiment' once before, but Founder above, it was in full effect.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for the girl to finish the meat and looking quite surprised herself when she did. Her hunger was at least satisfied. But when she looked for seconds, she found her plate and barely used utensils being picked up away from her. Already the lingering smokey flavor and smell were making her stomach demand more.

"Sorry, but that's all for now. One more thing we gotta make sure is letting your body adjust to the all of the contaminates of the wasteland. Only one meal in the morning and one in the evening. Else there's a good chance your digestive system, and waste system could get an infection. Or possibly your kidney's giving out from the extra stress from filtering out the pollutants." Mitchell explained.

Louise looked wide eyed at the statement. Oh founder _more_ medical problems? Next she would be hearing that simply breathing could be a problem.

"I didn't enjoy it when it happened to me, but it's-"

"Necessary. Right. I understand." She said, closing her eyes.

"Good." Mitchell said as he carried the plate over to the counter and began cleaning them off with some water.

As he did, Louise wondered how she should go about this. revealing her magic, and origins. She already decided that Mitchell was her best person to start with. Out of all the people in this town he seemed to trust her the most. And, well, he was the one who had the most authority on her medical state, something she sorely lacked. She still wasn't sure what everyone's reaction to her magic would be. Back home, everyone respected magic. It was a sign of being blessed by the Founder and with it, a innate duty to protect people.

But here? People were already on edge with her without magic. If it became common knowledge that this pink haired interloper could cause explosions at will, she could find herself in very hot water.

But she had to. Her magic brought her here and it was the only way she could see herself getting back home. She had to do it, and it had to be on her terms. Taking a breath she took her first steps toward it. She opened her eyes.

"Listen… Doctor Mitchell… I wanted to thank you." She began getting the man's attention.

"I know it must be very strange taking in some such as me, but I appreciate what you, and the town, are doing for me. I truly do."

He was looking at her for her to continue, so she did.

"I know I am strange and I feel as if I owe you some honesty about that subject but…" She sighed. "It is a complicated affair. But before we get to that I feel I should thank you… sincerely."

"You don't have to-"He began, but Louise cut him off.

"No I do. I may not know much about… well this 'wasteland' ,but I can understand the fact that taking in someone like this, especially with recent events, must be difficult and I want you to know I appreciate it."

"Well… you're welcome. I do admit, your rad resistance has been itching at my curiosity."

"About that. As I said, it is complicated. But after I finish my first shift today, I can tell you. I promise."

"Well alright. I appreciate that as well."

"I will." She said with certainty. She just hoped that when she did, it went as smoothly as it could. She was optimistic, Mitchell seemed reasonable, but there was always a chance that he could turn on her. She had not forgotten hoe he reacted when she told him of the NCR. Maybe she could do more with getting to know him.

In the interest of building more of a rapport between them Louise asked about the elderly doctor. It also served as an effective way to pass time.

Mitchell, seeing as he would get his own answers about her began to tell her what he knew.

...

* * *

"You were kicked out of your own home!?" Louise asked with genuine shock. Mitchell had told her the tale of him growing up in an apparently underground complex in a city called New Vegas. The city's overseer, Mr. House ,having apparently been responsible for taking his home away. Given recent events, it wasn't hard for the Valliere girl to sympathize with the doctor.

The doctor nodded, a twinge of sadness here and there, but for the most part the doctor merely told it without much fanfare. "Yeah, nothing we could do. I myself was one of the few who wasn't a gambler, but that's how we settled things for so long I didn't see the harm. But luck was against us and House was quick to enact the terms. The entire lower section he filled with concrete and turned the upper parts into a hotel. Some took it hard, and that was before the medical issues set in for most of them. Others were unhappy, but accepted it as it was. House was nice enough to let a girl who had lived there run the hotel, so there's that. I hear she's doing well for herself too. Lot of people wanting that innate security a Vault has."

Louise was on the edge of her seat, and this wasn't even a story with any action it. Just the things Mitchell had explained to her. Heck, even the base concept itself was amazing. An entire village like complex beneath the ground, enough to house over a thousand people! Granted, mages could eventually work their way to that themselves, but Louise was trying to picture how it would look with their style. From just what little she had seen of those odd objects on the Saloon and that… thing rolling around outside she imagined a boxy, utilitarian nature. Ugly, but still, she wouldn't mind seeing one for curiosity's sake.

There was another thing Mitchell had brought up, and the reason the Vaults were built in the first place. War. He didn't delve too deep into it, just calling 'The Great War' but it was enough. A war waged with weapons powerful enough to turn the world into 'The Wasteland' she had seen firsthand. One giant desert contaminated by radee ashon. Though maybe it was just the locale.

The Mojave seemed to fare unusually well, its city mostly unaffected by the war and its aftermath which was odd to her. House had it fortified and resided in a building called The Lucky 38 the tallest building naturally. A ruler had to have a throne in any world it seemed.

Mitchell explained that these Vaults were created by the Old World's governments in preparation for a war such as the one that had occurred, but it seemed that Mitchell had come across others in his journeys in the wasteland and they had not fared nearly as well. Some were overrun with creatures, others seemed to fail internally. Only one other seemed to survive in the wasteland and they turned into a xenophobic isolationist group with powerful weapons and called themselves The Boomers. Cannons it sounded like. Really powerful cannons. What had he called them? Howeetzers? Mitchell had even said that in his final days of traveling, he had found a vault with a sign outside warning others to stay way with the words 'The Plants Kill' being the only warning. All in all, Vaults were something that seemed to attract doom and if not that, something bad seems to happen because of them.

Louise shuddered at just what lay in that vault and hoped it never crawled out. But still, the way Mitchell described the Vault he lived in was certainly intriguing. An underground city where people. It was her natural curiosity really. Even if it wasn't magic, she wanted to know about it.

For the moment though, she was more concerned on the doctors unfortunate eviction.

"How could he do that?" She asked shaking her head in contempt.

"Well, the Securitrons pointing their weapons at us helped." Mitchell snarked. "House has a problem with groups of people that cause trouble. Or could cause trouble. Or just ones that he feels like they need to if they have something he wants. That last one was use more than anything. He stripped the Vault of it's primary computer systems. Guess even he needs raw materials to work with sometimes."

Louise nearly gagged at the mention of those things, but it also caused her to pause and consider his words.

"Wait, one of _those_ things? You mean like Victor? Isn't that a bit odd?"

He nodded. "It IS odd. Securitrons are the main method of peacekeeping House uses in Vegas. No other facility in the wasteland, as far as anyone can tell, has them. New Vegas is the only place you'll see them in large numbers."

Louise frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. She was already wary of that thing before but now, even as inexperienced as she admittedly was in the political field, it sounded like Victor really did have some ulterior motive. This House person did not sound like someone she wanted to cross. A king of the region she would do well to avoid angering. One more reason to stay here really.

"Why are you not more concerned about this? Why are you not worrying about that thing turning on you?"

"Because why would he? Goodsprings is an out of the way backwater even by wasteland standards. The only thing we got going for us is the uncontaminated natural spring just south of town. And even then, what could we do? If House really wanted to, he could send just a few more and wipe our town out. I do have my suspicions about Victor, but he hasn't done anything to us and we want to keep it that way. Throwing the first punch won't do anything useful."

That was… a really good point. She didn't even want to think about how many more of these things were waiting in this city of Vegas. Enough to keep the peace it sounded like. An army of golems against simple commoners with pitchforks and knives was an apt comparison. And these things likely had some form of advanced muskets hidden away somewhere. She had to be on guard around that thing.

"What about this House person. What is he like?"

"No one knows. No one's seen hide for hair of him since New Vegas was formed. His base, the Lucky 38, has been sealed for as long as anyone can remember. His Securitrons are his intermediaries."

Mitchell looked tot he window, seeing the sun becoming brighter. "But, I think that's all we have time for. It's almost eight o' clock. But before you go, let's go over how to use your Pip Boy. Didn't think you'd remember anything if I explained it to you yesterday."

She looked down at the thing on her wrist, completely forgotten to her, which as odd considering how much it weighed.

"Now, these buttons…"

...

* * *

Mitchell was right to hold off on the explanation until today. This Pip Boy on her arm was simple enough to operate, but Louise would not have had to mental faculties to remember everything.

Really the thing that gave her the most trouble was the 'screen'. That cursed shimmering eyesore. She didn't know what it was up with it, but looking at the screen with its unnatural light hurt her eyes somewhat and she had no idea why. It wasn't a major issue and it more an irritant than anything else, but still, even this thing wasn't immune from giving her problems.

Well, just another thing for her to put up with it seemed. She was pressing buttons and turning knobs on the thing, practicing how it operated as she walked towards the Saloon.

The main worry was her radee ashon levels which was under 'stats'. A few buttons presses and knobs twists and she was able to view whatever manner of things this object provided. Most of the other things, like this thing somehow knowing what she held, and several other features, wasn't much use to her at the moment.

She had to admit, for people with no magic, this was truly astounding. A device that could monitor the body's condition, reporting on any injuries or general maladies that could go unnoticed by the user. In her case radee ashion.

With a final button press she came to said screen, the amber outline of a stylized man with a smile on his face. She wish she could share that enthusiasm, even if it was a bit condescending to her.

Scanning the information she eyed the part most relevant to her at the moment. Her radee ashon levels. The tiny 'click click clik' of the thing on her arm was irritation when she brought it up, but it did confirm she was absorbing the invisible poison. Though Mitchell said, without and extra source like a piece form a bug, it was going up far slower than it was before. Still a problem, but what could she do?

Earn money for medicine came to mind. She practiced the motions a few more times, periodically bringing her head up to see where she was going.

However as she was about to enter the Saloon, a sudden voice caught her off guard.

"Howdy little lady."

She jumped, that phrase instantly making her think of that accursed machine, her heads rapidly turning to the voice.

An older wrinkled man, was sitting in a chair next to the door, an a mused smile on his face as he watched Louise jump . His skin color was similar, but this man had a bright white bushy beard with a some noticeable speckles of dirt here and there. His wrinkled face spoke of years under the sun, and the movement even in his old age spoke of dealing with threats should they arrive.

"Hello." She said, trying to save face.

He chuckled and tipped his hat, a gesture Louise actually found herself recognizing. "Morning young lady."

Well, this was unexpected. A person with curtsy.

However, his face was coming back to her. Wait a minute… it finally clicked."It was you who threw those odd explosives at the monster yesterday wasn't it? I never got around to thanking you for that." best to try and make a good impression, she remembered.

"Ah, I'm only responsible for throwing the dynamite at it. The real hero is inside, just fixing to set out." He said simply.

"Regardless….thank you." She said bowing slightly.

Nodding silently was his only response. With one last curious glance towards the old man she opened the door and stepped inside.

At the very least the sun wasn't as bright as it was yesterday and it wasn't as bad as going into a darker building. Still ad to wait for her eyes to adjust though.

"You sure you're feeling good enough to travel?" A female voice said.

Blinking a few times, Louise focused her attention forward, where the voices where coming from.

"Yes. I haven't had a dizzy spell since yesterday, all of my limbs are functioning. I see no reason to linger around here."

'Well as long as you-" The blonde woman stopped talking as soon as she saw Louise. The man lazily turned to her, suggesting he was already aware of her as she walked inside.

"Oh there she is. Louise right? I'm Sunny Smiles." The woman introduced. Her blonde hair was in a loose bun, strands of hair sticking out the backm and her face still had a fair amount of dirt on it. The woman herself gave a vibe of a woman who spent her days mostly outside and cared little for how she looked. The dog by her side helped her outdoors girl impression.

"Ah, hello." She greeted, here eyes moving over to the man and taking in his appearance.

He was tall. At least six feet. His skin was dark, dark as the older man outside, but his face didn't have the amount of wrinkles as the previous man, though she definitely could see some, and more on the way, but some youth seemed to stubbornly hold on. His head was mostly shaved, except for an odd choice of hairstyle that Louise had never seen before. It was a strip of hair right down the middle of his head. Then again, in a desert environment, it made sense to keep one's hair as short as possible. He had a mustache under his nose and a scruffy beard on the bottom of his chin. His dark brown eyes almost caught her attention, where it not for the miscolored flesh on the side of his head. It was a knob that gave a painful feeling in her own head just by looking at it. And this man survived it? She was starting to wish she hadn't noticed it at all…

She must have been staring at it, because the man mentioned it. "Is my brain leaking out?"

That imagery was not needed. "W-what? No!"

"Are you sure?" He asked, rubbing his wound for emphasis. Louise was never one for wounds, really who was, but seeing him picking and prodding it was too much for her. It brought up some unpleasant memories for her, and she found herself gagging soon.

"Oh Founder stop!" She exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth.

He brought his hand away revealing it to be fine. She knew that dammit, they were misunderstanding her displeasure! Regardless, both adults present began laughing. Well, the woman did. The man was chuckling mostly, and he had a bright visible smile on his face.

"That was kinda low." She said, in between giggles.

"Maybe. Still funny though." He said grinning.

"Oh definitely." She said with a smirk, her dog barking in agreement.

"No, That wasn't funny!" The mage exclaimed, nearly stomping her foot in protest.

"Two against kid" A bark sounded off. "Sorry, three against one. It was funny."

She was still fuming, but she had enough sense to bottle it up when she noticed the other patrons at the tables giving her a look. She remembered that she needed to build a rapport here. She exhaled deeply through her nose in an attempt to calm herself down.

"Well, on that entertaining note, I'll be taking my leave now." The man said.

"You're heading to Primm right?"

"Well yes. They must have another job opening by now. They won't like to hear what had happened but-" Sunny cut in, a surprised expression on her face.

"Wait… you're not gonna chase down the man who shot and robbed you? The hell were you carrying, spit soaked dirt?"

"No. The package was certainly a loss, but it was my first one in quite some time. My pride is wounded just as bad as my head to be honest. This was hardly the first package that got bushwhacked in the wasteland, and I never made letting ambushes make a habit of robbing me. Only one other time in my ten years working for the Mojave Express did I get robbed. And that turned out to be a bomb anyway. The one who took it had just enough time to figure that out roughly the same time I did, judging by the look on his head when it landed next to me. That lead to some interesting things down the road."

"Wait seriously?" Sunny asked incredulously. Louise had to admit, as morbid as it sounded, that truly was an intriguing sounding tale.

"Yes. But I digress. The point is, my track record is good enough that I won't be docked too harshly for this. Probably have to take up some extra jobs to make up for it, nothing I can't handle." He said.

"Well good. Hate to have Doc put all that effort into saving ya, only to be shot again by your employers."

"Rest assured, from here to Hub, I have a reputation as a trustworthy courier. Might have to regain some of that, but, ah well. Such is life in the wasteland." He said shrugging.

He paused, seemingly in thought. "Then again… the price _was_ good money. I might still set out after it. I'll see how my opportunities play out." He said.

"Well good luck. And thanks again for driving off those Powder Gangers. And watch out for their friends. They got to be getting desperate for supplies from what I hear from traders so keep an eye out."

The man nodded silently. He grabbed a nearby backpack off the table and he began walking towards her, his belongings jangling somewhat. Looking closer at his pack, she realized there were some traps she had seen before strapped to the side. A trap with sharp metal jaws. She had seen those before... and their effects. On animals only, but the dried blood on them looking brighter than old blood was. Mitchell did say he had a brutal way of dispatching some of those Gangers. She was suddenly glad she wasn't around for that.

His destination was the door. He wasn't paying any attention to her at all.

Despite that prank earlier, Louise still felt she should express her gratitude. He was the man who had come running in to her rescue after all. When he was right next to her she spoke up. "And thank you… for saving me." She said.

The man stopped. He looked at her for a few seconds. He nodded, and then proceeded out the door, it closing behind him with a thud.

Only pausing for the briefest of seconds Louise turned back to the interior. The woman, Sunny, along with her canine companion, were watching her.

"So, you're Trudy's new busgirl huh? You really came out of the middle of nowhere just to do that?"

"Well, I need money for Radaway, and I don't feel like I'm ready to go back out into the wild just yet." She stated.

"Yeah, Mitchell told me about that. Said you needed some help with learning how to shoot too. Well if you want, I could show you how to handle some guns in my spare time."

"Really? Well… I would like to, but I am not blind to the costs of doing so. Surely bullets cost money... and I think I might need a lot of practice." She said.

"Well if you're planning on sticking around like you said, just pay me back when you can. Coyotes and Geckos are pretty damn plentiful around here, so a few hunting trips should make up the difference pretty quickly."

That sounded doable. Not pleasant, but she knew she would have to get used to such things quickly.

'Anyway, we can talk business later. Gotta get to work getting that bug cleared outta town's range. Still trying to find all the pieces from the explosions that got scattered about. Come one Chyenne!" She called out, the dog by her side suddenly up and trotting after her.

With that business taken care of Louise walked to Trudy's bar. Walking around the corner, Louise came into the bar area of the saloon. It was mostly deserted, save for one person seemingly slumped over asleep. Behind the counter stood the woman, her black hair looking still a bit bedraggled. Her clothes seemed... nicer. At least, it seemed it may have once been of high quality, but now she could see the patchwork keeping it together. The woman herself seemed more kempt, but she still had a feel of 'dirty'. Louise didn't judge too harshly though. She knew she was well on her way to that state herself.

She turned to face Louise once she saw her approaching.

"Ah good morning Louise. Gotta admit, I had some doubts if you'd show up today. Though you might be too sore and tied from yesterday. You don't really strike as a girl who's in to wandering."

She sighed. "You're not wrong about that. Yesterday was... an off day for me, let's say. I need to get started as soon as possible. This poison isn't going to wait for me, and I can't wait around."

A smile appeared on the woman's face as she said those words. it wasn't a mocking one however. It was one of respect. "Well good. I like that attitude. If you pull your weight around here you should no trouble fitting in."

Nodding at her first official job she set off to work.

...

* * *

It was a few minutes before people started coming in, about half an hour, but not long after the first one entered the saloon, quite a few more entered. Various men and women began walking in, dust, well, dusting the floor with... dust. Picked up from their long walks here copious amounts of dirt and sand was soon was on the floor.

Quite a lot of people for a supposedly backwater town. But then, she had heard that some of the normal trading routes we're being blocked off and traders were forced to find business where they could, which was good for the town. And for her. Sadly, the smell of various dirty people in an enclosed space was not a pleasant one. She dare say, she would rather spend time in stables. Sweat from exertion, and more than a few passing of gas, from men and women, from a bunch of rough looking people with weapons strapped to them was the dominate atmosphere for the pink haired girl as she worked. Smelly, she could say, was a gross understatement.

Her legs were protesting all the while, but she persisted. But founder above they protested oh so very hard. There were a few times she had to grab something to keep herself from falling over, but she succeeded every time, so there was that. She was glad she had foregone her cape for work. It most certainly would have gotten tangled in the mess of people here.

Louise had mainly been responsible for bringing out drinks and food to patrons and washing dishes. She just wished people would stop gawking and gossiping about her hair the first few minutes they laid eyes on her. It was rather irritating feeling eyes on her, but thankfully it never lasted long. Soon they always returned to tales of their own goings on's and general business. She tried her best to be friendly, and she did at least manage a few smiles here and there despite herself.

The one odd thing was though that she was often handed extra caps from a lot of the males. Females sometimes too, but males were the dominate ones. She wasn't experienced whatsoever in this field, but she knew that usually mean that one thing. Being handed things for free. She had Zerbest to thank for that lesson.

Did they… find her attractive? Bah, how could she think that? She had no breasts, no behind, no height. Out of the kindness of their own heart? Maybe, but they were traders, merchandise and money was their ultimate goal in life and they would pursue that without falter. Besides, her skin was hardly in it's prime at the moment.

She shook heard at the thoughts. Whatever the reason, she was making a fair amount of money just from these extra handouts alone. She chose to go along with it.

For the moment everybody seemed to be satisfied. Everyone had food and drink at the moment, and the building was filled with the chatter of the all the people in it, supplemented by that odd game of 'pool' she had discovered, the clacks of impacting balls irritating her even through the rabble. She managed to take the glowing box that had people's voices in it better than she thought she should have. Better as in she only stared at it for about two whole minutes rather than running outside screaming her head off. This world must already be starting to rub off on her.

Regardless, she set to work. There was a tub of water and some surprisingly clean looking pieces of cloth. She began wiping them down, doing her best to get them clean. At least this allowed her to rest her legs, so she jumped on this whenever she could. Founder, it felt like they might fall off. Considering the pain they were giving her, Louise considered encouraging them. Regardless, she wiped down dished and glasses, and soon enough there was a pile ready to be used again.

Her work was interrupted when Trudy, who had been preparing the food, and talking with traders to find out what was going on in the wasteland, walked behind the counter with her and spoke. "You're doing a great job kid. I mean it. You've been on top of every order, every pick up, cleaning dishes, and you've provided some entertaining conversation. People really like talking about your hair. They keep bringing it up whenever I talk to them."

Louise nodded in appreciation, but blushed slightly at the mention of her hair again. Why did she have to get sent to a world with such a limited color pallette in regards to hair?

"And I see you've been making some extra caps on the side. Lotta tips from the young men huh? Well that'll help. Should have expected this in hindsight. Pretty girl like you, people can't help but be a bit more loose with their money."

That caused the girl to fumble her dishes she held, thankfully none of them broke at least, and turned towards Trudy.

"W-what?"

She raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean 'What'? Good looking girl like you, with exotic hair and accent to boot, I think we might just more people coming here just to check you out once the traders start telling stories. Both ways apply to that statement." Trudy said smirking.

Louise, for her part, had another layer of red coming under her skin.

"M-me? Good looking? Surely you jest!" She wasn't good looking by anyone's standards, least of all herself. She was plain, average, flat chested… sunburned...

The older woman gave her a look that _oozed_ disbelief. "… you serious? Kid, I don't where you came from, but by Mojave standards, you're a damn beauty queen, even with the sunburns. And that skirt and long socks combo ain't doing that any harm. A little trashy for my taste, but hey, it works. that's what matters. Though I think you're supposed to bend over just a bit more to get the most out of it." She said grinning.

Louise's face was nearly the color rivaling that of her sunburns, and Trudy's smile now that the implications had sunk in was like a second sun.

"This is a uniform!" She tried to explain. She didn't want people thinking she was like that!

"Well no shit." It didn't turn out well.

"No! That's not what I, ugh, Please can we drop this?" She pleaded, desperately trying to get back at the dishes. How could people think that this school uniform was immodest? It was very modest! Only that damn Zerbest could corrupt it! She stole a glance at her cap bag.

...But she was getting a lot of money... Oh Founder, was she sending out signals? Did all those traders really think she was a w-

"She ain't lying." Said a voice, a smile audible despite it being invisible.

"Gah!" She jumped in place. Sunny had walked uo to the bar, a bottle of a drink in hand. She was leaning against the bar , and she had a smirk on her face.

"Just saying, from an objectively aesthetic viewpoint, you're a babe." She said winking. Founder above, she needed to stop blushing.

An indignant huff was her visible response. Well, Louise would be lying to herself if she didn't enjoy the compliments, or the extra money, on some level... but she just wasn't that type of person.

"Or maybe it's just Trudy trying to keep you around. You really do negate the natural eyesore around here." She said winking towards Trudy.

"Oh shut up you little desert rat." Trudy said, tossing a rag at Sunny. It bounced harmlessly off her.

Sipping her drink in amusement, and Louise trying furiously to hide her face in her hands.

Taking another sip, her expression became slightly more serious. "Still, you still get some looks around here Trudy. Wasn't that Irish badboy, Lorcan, chatting you up more than anyone else around here?"

At the mention of the man's name Louise stopped what she was doing. She turned to face Sunny.

"Lorcan Teauge?"

She raised an eyebrow."Yeah. You know him?"

Louise nodded. "Well… yes. I ran into him on my way here."

"All the way out there in the Wastes? What the hell was that man doing?"

... Should she? She wasn't sure if she should. Telling them her encounter might cause problems. But if they found out she was hiding that from them, that could be worse. She decided to risk it. "He and his cohorts were battling a group called the NCR."

Sunny winced. "Oh damn. Should have known. Lorcan was hardly one to hide how he feels about them. You didn't get involved did you?"She asked her eyes narrowing slightly.

Louise shook her head in the negative."No. The most I did was be present when he executed the last person alive."

At that both women grimaced, Trudy in particular looking a bit pained. "Did he? Well… shit. I don't know if it's right to judge him though, as bad as it sounds. I really don't think the time he spent around the NCR did him any favors."

"That can only justify so much Trudes. Sooner or later, you have to take responsibility for your own actions." Sunny countered.

"I know I know. But _you_ know the NCR has its share of problems. Problems that tend to blow up into even more problems and then they send people away and hoping things turn out well." Trduy said rolling her eyes.

"Do you think the NCR could come here?" Louise asked. Both woman looked at each other, uncertainty on both of their faces.

"Well, it's hard to say. I'm assuming Lorcan wandered off in another direction to not implicate Goodpsrings?"

She nodded.

"Good. They still might notice your tracks though. But, the NCR is mostly benevolent. There's good people in there, a lot of them actually, but nobody denies they got a pushy streak. And they've been mighty incompetent as of late."

"Oh? How so?" She asked. They were her main worry at the moment, so it was in her best interest to find out as much as she could.

Trudy began explaining. "Well for one thing they're spread too thin across the Mojave, that's how I see it at least. They got all these outposts watching everything, but they barely have enough manpower to keep themselves safe, let alone do much of anything for the rest of us. The roads around here have been clearer because of them, but even that is starting to go away. Becoming infested with critters again. I even heard stories from traders, just in today, that a bunch of them went rogue not too long ago. Got their hands on some serious Pre War tech too. A working vehicle, with a mounted gun to boot. Heading towards the Mojave, and they've done jack all to track them down." Trudy explained shaking her head in frustration. Louise shared that sentiment.

Vehicle? Did she mean carriage? No, she had to think in their world's terms, but nothing really came for her to compare it to. Regardless, she knew what mounted gun meant.A dangerous amount of firepower. That was mobile. Was the NCR really that incompetent? What? Why would they do that? I thought the NCR had an interest in keeping people safe." Louise asked.

"They do, but like like I said, they've been stretching themselves to the point where they can't even keep complete tabs on some basic needs. That's how the Powder Gangers came into existence. They used to be prisoners the NCR had locked up, re purposed into demolition workers and construction crews. But I hear they kept pulling guards away from the prison where they were at. The prisoners sensed the weakness, they took over, and now they got a solid base in that prison, along with all that dynamite. Fortunately our courier friend scared them off. Though to be honest…. "

She looked thoughtful for a moment at the mention of the man, and Louise waited for he to speak. But she shook the thought on her mind away. "Nevermind. He killed a group that came into town looking for trouble. Barely even needed us for anything. Hopefully, they'll see Goodsprings as more trouble than it's worth to sack. But we'll still keep an eye out."

Louise still felt her head ringing from the stupidity. The NCR let criminals run amok in the countryside, and let a gang steal what she presumed to be some kind of war machine. She was starting to see where Lorcan was coming from when he ranted about them earlier. These people didn't seem fit for ruling.

"And we don't need anyone else dragging us into problems." Same a sudden voice, causing all the females to turn to the source.

A man in dirtied overalls, with a black mustache, greasy slicked back and dirtied hair was sitting at the bar. He appeared to be a simple farmer.

He was eyeing the pink haired Louise with disdain. "Ringo caused us enough problems. We don't need somebody else's."

Louise held the gaze and heard Trudy sigh. "Kenny, she's hardly being hounded by killers." Trudy said.

"But she ain't normal. Her hair, her medical needs, her eyes. Am I really the only one who noticed they were pink? You can see the damn things a mile away!"

At the mention of the iris color both Trudy and Sunny. Their eyes widened when they realized that, yes, she had pink iris.

"We already took two in, and that led to a fight. That Courier... we got lucky. That was only _after_ his fight. Every time we take someone in, trouble follows."

Sunny scoffed. "Kenny, those Gangers were coming either way, bunch of hardheaded and hothead fools they were.. They know now that we won't be an easy target for them. And with all these traders and their guns around these days, I really don't think we have to worry about them. The town is hardly overcrowded and she's pulling her weight so far. I an't gonna be the one who throws her out for paranoia." Suunny said, Louise turning her head to her in shock. She was... honestly touched that the woman she had barely spoken to was standing up for her like this.

The man shrugged finishing off his beverage, and leaving the caps on the counter. "Well, when we're knee deep in the dead over this girl, don't say I didn't warn ya. And I an't the only one who thinks that way." He said Turing and walking out the door to his left.

Louise was wringing her hands. She had nearly forgotten that, when it came to Goodsprings, she still had a ways to go before she was completely accepted yet.

"Louise, don't worry about it. Me and Sunny ain't Kenny in case you didn't notice. You work for me, and unless I say otherwise, you're staying right here. Just keep doing what you're doing, and people will come around."

Louise bringing her head to face the woman offered a small smile.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Just sit down for a few more minutes, and enjoy the rest of your-" She was cut off when the door opened, the ball atop jingling as it did. In walked a man with a grey bushy beard, wearing what appeared to be a similar sun protection hat around here. He was a bit fatter than most people here she noted, though that could be due to his older age. Louise could already tell something was wrong. The man seemed... dazed. As if he was having trouble focusing on things.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" He called out, the entire congregation of people giving him their attention.

"The road north out of Goodsprings has been infested with Cazadores."

The noise level in the room raised at the mention of these Cazadores , the various people looking at their partners in concern.

He continued on, though nobody urged him to. In fact, considering what followed, she wished he hadn't."They came flying down so fast. We barely raised our guns. Dave... they stung him He screamed... so loud. Dragged him off... had to use all of my grenades just to..." The man just seemed to be rambling at this point, staring through the entire room full of people. Some began turning away awkwardly, others giving the man a sympathetic look.

"Oh hell… fucking bugs" Sunny breathed out. Louise didn't blame her. This was severely uncomfortable. But that odd choice of word didn't match up completely with the story. it sounded like bugs attacked. But that word. That word was hanging her up.

Hunters? There must have been something she was missing here. Simple bandits? But that didn't account why the people around her suddenly looked nervous. There had to be something she was missing.

The man who made the announcement wasn't standing any longer. He had walked to a unoccupied chair and sat down, his legs almost creaking with the chair with how weary he looked.

Out of her job obligations, but also out of curiosity, if she was going to be staying here it was best to know what threats she might have to worry about, she walked over to the man and spoke to him.

"Can I get you anything sir?"

He didn't hear her at first, just staring ahead. When her words reached him however, he jumped a little, his eyes locking on her. They seemed to stare at something behind her before focusing on her again and then he spoke.

"… full bottle of whisky. All of it."

Nodding, but not having a good feeling about it she went back , got his drink, and delivered it. He paid what was due, and soon he was throwing the bottle back. As Louise walked back, Trudy was watching with sympathy.

"I don't blame him. I've only seen the aftermath of Cazador attacks and I never ever want to relive that. And those were the ones were they recovered the bodies intact and not desecrated."

That didn't sound good. She was probably going to regret asking this question, but she had to. If they came here she wanted to be prepared.

"What exactly are these Cazadores?" Are they bandits? Why else would one use hunter as a way to describe something. It sounded vaguely Gallian. Maybe it was a translator issue.

And she just realized that she somehow knew their language. But what Sunny said, overshadowed that revelation by a wide margin in her books.

"Cazadores are giant wasps. Giant blackish, blue wasps with orange wings. You'd do best to avoid them Louise. Before they mutated, they were tarantula hawk wasps. Much smaller, but Mitchell says their sting was the _second highest_ on the insect pain scale rating. Again, when they were smaller. Can you imagine what that must be now that they're size of a damn car?" Well she didn't have a reference for the word car, but she was still nervous regardless. Those giant scorpions provided her with all the scale she needed.

Trudy spoke up. "You really don't want to see the victims faces…" Trudy said, becoming slightly glassy eyed herself.

Louise said nothing. She turned back to the man. Louise felt herself shudder. These people were far more experienced with the wasteland and all it had to offer, and they still got worked over by it. She had envisioned the people here to be brave and used to it, but seeing that man men, his eyes... it reminded her that even these people, tough as they were, were just as vulnerable. The now quiet general area gave her sense of dread. The once active atmosphere of the saloon, now seemed just as dead as the victim of those bugs.

Sunny however had gained an even more worried expression. "Damn. If they're this close to town, I better haul ass and get the rest of that scorpion out of here. We really don't want to attract those things into town. Catch you later Trudes!" She called out as she jogged out of the room, her dog following her and tossing some caps on the table just before.

"Damn. We may have fought off the danger, but it's still out there." Trudy said biting her lip. There was a look of intense uncertainty, the woman

"What is it?" Louise asked

He gaze snapped to Louise.

"Hm. Oh... just worried for a friend of mine. Hearing about the area getting dangerous again these days, and now with hose Cazadores... I'm just nervous about her that's all." She paused. "Look, I know this will sound strange, but If you see a woman with a weird red headpiece on, could you come get me? She's a really close friend and with all that's been going on around here... I'm just worried alright? Just keep an eye out for her and if you see her, tell me right away. I'll pay you fifty caps extra if you spot her first."

Well, it wasn't any of her business to pry into that further, and the extra pay was incentive enough. Louise nodded, causing the dark haired woman to smile.

"Thanks. I'm probably worrying about nothing. I know's she's capable, but still. I'd just like to know."

As she walked off Louise got back to her own work.

...

* * *

The rest of her shift was not too long. After the travelers got their full of drink and food, they began to set off. Some in groups of two, some larger, but always in groups. They gathered their packs, and their two headed cattle, which Louise actually found to be a tamer thing than it should be. But it seemed friendly and wasn't a bug so it's case was helped immensely.

She checked her Pip Boy, the screen flickering to life as she checked her radee ashon levels. As expected it had gone up, but by a far less amount than she had feared. That Rad-X had done its job then at least, she wasn't in danger of dying by it's invisible grasp… yet.

She did make good money as well. A hundred and five caps in a single shift! And all because of her 'good looks'. Despite her pride as a Valliere, she honestly doubted that. She just wasn't by any standards, least of all her own. Her mother and sisters had the claim to that... and she forcefully pushed those thoughts aside. She didn't need to feel that for another couple of hours.

But nevertheless, it was time to return to doc Mitchell. She still had business to deal with after all. She had asked Trudy for a break. She had said yes, but only if she was back before the next round of people were due. She needed to sweep the inside of all the dust that had gathered from everybody. A fair deal. The ranchers would see to the various droppings left by the Brahim and Louise had absolutely no objection to that.

Opening the door to his house she found him sitting on a chair, reading a book. He looked up at her, setting it down.

"Afternoon Louse. How was your first day hauling drinks around?"

She shrugged. "As well as it can be. I made quite a lot more than I anticipated. Mostly in tips believe it or not."

"Really?"

"Everyone keeps saying that... I'm attractive apparently." She said, fumbling her words at admitting that. It felt weird to be discussing this again.

He chuckled. "Cause it's true. Wastelanders were never picky, but here comes along a nearly immaculate beauty, and a hairdo you only find in the city? Louise, you learn to play your cards right, and you really might not have to worry about medicine for a good while. Normally I'm one for preserving one's decency, But I ain't blind to your needs. You just might need this edge. You don't have to sleep with them, god no, but you should practice some... 'feminine persuasion'. Lord knows my wife got us out of a lot of trouble with that." He said chuckling.

Louise found herself blushing again. This subject matter was not her favorite one. And she was hardly an expert in it regardless.

At least she had something to move on to. 'Maybe… but that is beside the point. I want to keep my word and explain some things about myself."

The mirth was gone int he doctors eyes."You sure you want to? It's you business after all."

"Yes. I don't think I would be able to keep it a complete secret anyway."

She closed her eyes, and took a breath, clasping her hands in nervousness. Of Founder here it goes.

She opened her eyes. "I'm from another world."

It sounded just as awkward and inane saying it as It did bouncing around her head. She felt herself grimace when her words reached her ears.

When they reached his, Mitchell's eyes widened, though by far less than she thought they would. The words still seemed to be causing some trouble though."Ah… hm… that's… well..."

She sighed. "Absurd? Impossible? Ridiculous? Believe me, I know. I know for a fact it's true, and even I'm having trouble accepting this."

Mitchell said nothing. Mitchell was silent for a good while, leaning back in his chair. Only his breathing and eyes blinking provided any indication he was still alive.

Finally he leaned forward. "Well, it WOULD explain some things about you. And I really doubt you would tell such a far fetched lie in the first place. But you said you also have some more proof. If you can provide that, I think I could buy what you're telling me."

"Of course. But not here. It's… something I'm not sure I want to reveal to everybody. I don't know how well everyone would take it just yet, and I don't want to scare anybody. You see..."

...

* * *

Louise and Mitchell were walking away from the town. He had suggested they head into coyote territory a bit east of it. It wasn't that dangerous, and when Louise told him what was to happen when she showed him her 'specialty' he had entailed. Mainly a crater.

He was at least taking what she had told him so far well enough. That she had magic and from another world. If she were being told that, she didn't know if she could accept it. A part of her still wanted to not accept it.

But the sky didn't lie.

It had taken her some time to actually look up at the odd sky. This world only had one moon, a white one, compared to her home's blue and red twin moons. Maybe it was out of some deep desire to try and find something to deny the reality of the situation. But seeing the sky told her all she needed to know. She truly was on another world.

She sighed in grief. She wanted to go back so much. Well, that was why she out here with Mitchell. To try and get started on that.

They had walked for about five minutes. They had just gone behind some rocks a fair ways away from the town, but Louise was sure they could still at least hear them if they made any loud enough noises. That was also why Mitchell had elected to bring along two grenades. If anyone asked, Mitchell was sure he could come up with something.

The elderly doctor looked as if he had walked far longer than he did, and looking at his limping form, Louise couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She didn't like doing this, but it had to be done. Though she considered that her legs screaming for walking in rough terrain again to be fair karma for it. Oh Founder...

The doctor sighed, wiping his sweat covered forehead. "Alright. Now, I hope you didn't make me walk all the way out here for nothing. Let's see what you got."

She nodded, eager to get back out of the sunlight as soon as possible as her burns were flaring again.

She raised her wand, and pointed it in front of her facing away from the town. She took a breath an chanted her spell.

"Fireball!" As the spell quickly formed and condensed on the tip of her wand, she felt a sudden sense of warmth encompass her being. Her Pip Boy suddenly started making an odd noise, an... odd sounding counter or whatnot, and by the Founder her _head!_ it felt as though she had just been punched! Even the spell was different. It seemed to be suffering the same effect as her first attempt at the summoning spell here. It was going through rapid color shifts, from red, to blue, to green, and to purple, even sometimes a brilliant rainbow. And all of that happened during the two seconds it had been building up on her wand.

Whatever the oddities were they did not detract from the results. In fact, she dare say it increased it. The explosion was _loud_ as it impacted the ground, causing it to shake slightly,and sending dirt and rocks flying. She had aimed farther away to prevent that, but some sizable chunks landed dangerously close to them, Mitchell even having to step back to avoid a smoking rock falling from the air. Mitchell had seen her magic firsthand. The old doctor, having a genuine surprised look on his face eyed the crater she made.

He didn't say anything at first, simply continuing his observation of the freshly cooked earth, a little bit of steam rising from the crater and pieces that had flown away. He just continued staring. Until he started to turn back to her."Well, you got me convinced completely now. Only other option is you being some sort of mutant, but even then, your rad sensitivity is only held by people not adapted to the wasteland. And… hey you alright?" He only just now noticed that the girl had taken a knee.

She was breathing like she had just finished jogging."I'm… fine. Really." She said in between breaths. It was more the shock of that head pain than anything else. She waited until it was back to normal before she spoke. She stood back up, a perplexed expression on her face.

"But that's been happening to my magic since I first tried my attempt to get back home. It feels… off. Like something is corrupting it. Interfering with it."

He put a hand to his chin in contemplation. "You did hear that Pip Boy go off right? Might wanna check your rad level. I think that might have something to do with it."

That clicking... Oh no.

Sure enough, going to her status screen, her rad level had shot up. Not by a large margin, or even that dangerous, but it suddenly gave her a very bad feeling. That was from using her magic.

"But that means…" She trailed off, already knowing where this dreadful train of though t was leading.

"Using your... 'magic' gives you radiation." Mitchell summarized, a thoughtful hand on his chin.

"Magic is about using the elements. If everything is contaminated, that might explain how it gets combined with the spell. Or maybe ... maybe my willpower has been corrupted by the contamination...' She tried theorizing the how's and why's of this odd magical phenomenon, but in this state she couldn't do much if it. The one painful fact she had just learned was making sure of that.

"Oh Founder. I can't even practice the spell that brought me here without poisoning myself! How am I supposed to get back my world now!?" She cried out in anger and melancholy.

"Now Louise just calm down. I know this situation just got a lot less ideal, but it isn't hopeless. You still got a job, you still got a place to live, you still have a means to get your medicine. We just have to-" Mitchell had tried looking on the bright side of things.

That was until a sudden voice rang out.

"My oh my. That was quite a light show. And what's this about you being from something other than the good ol'e us US of A?"

The electric tinged voice made her snap around, already dreading who, or rather, what it was. Mitchell voiced her thoughts for her. Standing a little ways away was the blue abomination itself, it's stylized shimmering face smiling back at them

"Victor! What are you doing here!?" Louise turned her head towards the doctor at his harsh tone. She was surprised that he could actually sound angry when he wanted and not just look angry. But she wasn't that far off from feeling that way herself.

The abomination 'spoke'. "Just out for a stroll. Heard something go boom over yonder, and I may have been guilty of hearing some personal information about the misses here. Truly sorry about that little lady."

It rattled off in that cheery tone again, but Louise just felt like someone had frozen her midsection with an ice spell. This thing had seen her... THIS THING HAD SEEN HER! Fear coursed through her.

It soon began melting away, being replaced with a sort of anger she hadn't felt in a while. "What!? You little, this is just, gah!" Those words were spoken, and that description used lightly, as the pink haired girl devolved in an angrish language lost to time.

The thing managed an imitation of holding it's arms up in a placating fashion. "Now hold your horses and cool your heels little miss, I ain't gonna go blabbing to everyone in town, I promise. I understand this is something you wanted to keep between you and the doc. Well, ole Vic ain't gonna tell anybody in town!"

She didn't believe him. This monstrosity... she didn't trust nearly as far as it pieces could fly when she blew it up. It followed them out here, and now it was going to spread her secret! She very nearly raised her wand in a pure fit of rage when Mitchell roughly grabbed her shoulder, holding it.

"Louise, do you remember what we talked about this morning?" Mitchell said, giving her a stern look. A look one would give a parent scolding a child.

She... did unfortunately. Any action against this thing would definitely garner some sort of response from that House fellow. But that didn't change the fact that this thing knew about her. If it did manage to get back to House, then she was worried about his response regardless.

She bit her lip in anger. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't things just go as planned? Dammit...

Sadly, she was forced to take a chance on something that might happen versus something that would happen. "If anyone else finds out about me before I'm ready to tell them, I will turn you into scrap heap myself." She said glaring into the thing's fake face.

"Fair trade by my book little miss. Liars deserve to be strung up by their feet, no matter flesh or metal. You got my word." The thing replied without a care in the world.

Only pausing for a few seconds the machine eventually turned around and began rolling back into town, Louise having the urge to blast that thing into pieces.

She was still reluctant about it, but she knew that she would just have to hold that thing to it's word. If she acted too rashly, then she without a doubt would doom herself.

But, if it came right down to it, a little more radee ashon would be worth it to get rid of that grating tone it had.

...

* * *

Not long after Victor left, both Mitchell and Louise walked back, along the way discussing some things. Mostly her just telling him some details about her home. Not the whole history of Halkegenia or even just Tristain, but just general information. It felt good, to finally tell someone just something about herself. Her true self. And it was quite something to explain the magical system to.. well a commoner. That and though he hadn't said much about it, she could tell he was just as rattled by Victor knowing about her as she was.

They had entered his house and walked into the living room. "So back in your home there was an entire group of people that could use… ah 'magic', but you couldn't?" He asked sitting down. The walk wasn't too long, but the older man looked winded. She could relate. Going over that terrain had made her legs wish they could stab her. She was sure of it.

She averted here eyes briefly. "Yes. I was Louise the Zero. The magicless girl." She bitterly said.

"You call slinging explosions without a grenade launcher magicless? That's more than anyone can do here."

She shook her head. "There is more to magic than just combat. Transmutation, base spells for all elements such as making candles that one can control at will, levitating heavy objects. And I couldn't do any of it."

"Well, you launched yourself into a new world little missy. You still like calling yourself a failure?"

She gave him a flat look. "Yes. The summoning rite was supposed to bring me an animal companion. Instead I end up on a world where I'm slowly dying due to an invisible poison because I'm more vulnerable to it. How exactly is this not a catastrophic failure?"

Mitchell had to admit, she had a fair point.

She closed her eyes. "And my family is probably worried sick about me. But it's my middle sister, Cattleya I'm most worried for. She was ill, and she must be taking this hard. I'm worried with all the stress she's probably going to have with me gone that her condition will get worse. I just… oh Founder why did this have to happen!?" The tears were already building at the first thought of her older sister, they burst completely again by thinking about her suffering.

"Yeah… she probably is. Which is why you need to stay calm and work with what you got."

"But-"

"Louise, do you remember what I told you this morning? How I was forced from _my_ home?" He told her getting her attention at least. She nodded, tears still dripping.

"I went through similar. People I knew and cared about started getting sick. House didn't offer much in the way of help, only helping some find jobs at bare minimum.I'll admit, I was pretty overwhelmed at the time. I did what I could. I helped work out plans and even deal with the locals too help them get the medicine they needed." He sighed, his memories flashing in his eyes.

"I can't tell you how many times I wanted to break down. When I saw people begin to vomit. Some losing their hair, their skin. Some so far as their minds. But… I stayed the course. Had to deal with every new malady that came up. It took a good long while tending to all their needs, and mine, but I managed."

"My point is Louise, people are counting on you. Your family is counting on you getting back. It's not going to be easy, but it's something that has to be done. Now just take a deep breath, and put things into perspective. Are you really that much worse off?"

The speech and the intensity of the older mans gaze made her tears stop.

She calmed herself, and took a breath. She thought about her situation in detail, her mind categorizing over facts as if she were in school again.

"… I suppose the only thing that has changed is the time it will take. My magic is my only way home, but it also increases my radee ashion levels. It's still possible. It's just going to take much longer."

She paused, her shoulders sagging.

"…That isn't a more pleasant reality you know…"

"No one has ever said that reality is a pleasant mistress. Well, other than the people thoroughly detached from it. What you just said is the harsh truth of matter Louise. It's gonna take longer. A lot longer. But it's still possible, and still achievable. _That_ is what you have to focus on."

She didn't say anything and only continued to stare at him.

"Now come on. We can have another meal to calm ourselves down in full and talk about the fine details. And what to do if House comes snooping around here." He got up and began walking towards the kitchen.

She stayed in her seat for a few moments longer, the events of the day rattling in her head. The revelations and recent speech being the most prominent.

She brought her head up, a determination in her eyes, got up and followed Mitchell into the kitchen.

...

* * *

 **Who would have thought just having a normal job was on the table when going to a new world?**

 **But don't worry, this is the wasteland. She'll have to come outside eventually.**


	6. A Clean Face V

Louise once again found a piece of gecko meat before her, the aroma beckoning her, but she found herself not very interested in it, taking only a few bites here and there, no matter how much that smoky flavor beckoned her.

Her mind was still going over the recent revelations. Her magic and seemingly contamination by the poison of this world, Victor knowing about her, and most of all, House's actions. He was, for all intents and purposes, the king of the region. And one who ruled with a strict hand. She hadn't forgotten the story about how Mitchell was forced from his home all those years ago and it did not set a good precedent for how House might handle her.

She let out a barely audible whimper. Honestly, she feared him more than any creature she had seen or heard about on this world. At least beasts could be fought off and they didn't conspire. House however, was a ruler through and through and she was versed in what they had to do in order to make sure they and their kingdom survived.

Mitchell had been silent, the elderly doctor going over his own thoughts in the silence. There was a look of concern on his face, but it wasn't near the level of Louise's. But then, she knew the healer was no stranger to tough situations. The elderly doctor finally broke the silence that had hung over the room since they got back.

"Are you feeling a bit more calm now?"

She sighed. "As I can be. I just… I… this situation is just taxing."

"No kidding. Bad as it was for me I could always go back to the people I called family anytime. You… can't even imagine what it must be like for you. Hm… how old are you exactly? Just out of curiosity."

"I am sixteen. I would have turned seventeen in three months though." She said, wincing again at the memories.

He nodded. "Ah. I was twenty three when I was thrust out into the world. An adult at least. But you? You really are just a kid." He said, grimacing once again at how he thought that man taking her with him was a good idea. "But maybe that's just the sheltered Vault Dweller in me talking. People gotta grow up a lot faster in the wasteland. Well, regardless we need to come up with a game plan for you, specifically about your magic. We know it's your only chance at returning home, and that using it gives you radiation."

And we know Victor knows about it. And by extension, likely House." She listed off.

"Yep. But there's… the issue of your abilities. Listen, I know it might be difficult, but you probably should work your way to telling the people of Goodpsrings about it." The doctor said.

Louise went wide eyed at the suggestion. "Are you crazy? More than a few of them are already wary about me as I am right now. If I reveal I can cause explosions whenever I feel like it that would only give them more reason to be wary about me."

He nodded. "True. But those problems will be irrevocable if _Victor_ is the one to reveal your abilities. All those suspicions people have likely been having about you not having good intentions or otherwise potentially causing trouble would suddenly seem a lot more believable."

Louise didn't say anything, the truth of his words cut deep.

"I'm not saying you have to start with telling them outright, but you should try and be as approachable as you can and try to make nice with them. If it comes right down to it, how much people are willing to stand up for you will probably be the deciding factor if House decides to show some muscle."

"… But how?"

"Well… something you could try is the night watch."

"Night watch?"

"Yeah. What? You really think we _all_ just curl up on our beds for the night? No, there's always some that patrol every night. Me being the exception on account of my leg, but even I can pull a chair on my hill and keep and an eye out. There's two shifts. Eight o clock to one, one to seven. If you volunteer yourself for one of those shifts, people would probably look on to you a bit kinder. They would see you doing something to keep them safe and less of a freeloader."

Louise was silent once again as she digested the information. Mitchell continued listing off the merits of the idea.

"More importantly, it'll give you a chance to actually talk to the people of Goodsprings, other than Trudy or Sunny. It's easy for them to write you off when you're just a faceless newcomer, but if you can win them over, show them that there's a person that truly needs help, they might think twice if House comes calling. Always felt that was Ringo's problem when he came here. Didn't bother to get to know anybody here." Well she still din't know who that Ringo was but what he said was true.

She couldn't deny the merits of it, and it certainly sounded like something she would have to take up. As long as she got to stay in town however she could suck it up. "That… might work. I'm not looking forward to staying up so late though."

He chuckled. "No one does. And don't forget hunting. You bring in some food from a hunting trip, and well, you know what they say about biting the hand that feeds you."

At the mention of hunting Louise bit her lip in nervousness. She had been fairly certain about that activity beforehand, but after hearing the giant monsters known as Cazadores she was having some serious second thoughts about it. "I… I don't know if I'm ready to go back out there. I don't even know how to shoot." She tried coming up with an excuse. Good thing it was true.

"Well, you should get to asking Sunny about that soon as well. Can't fall back on your magic without poisoning yourself so you need to expand your abilities pronto. You seemed a lot more accepting of it before. What changed?"

She shuddered at what she was about to bring up. "I found out about hunters. A trader came from the north road out of here and said that a swarm of the infested that way." She said, licking her lips slightly as she felt the words carry a slight Gallian origin to them.

"Cazadores? Ah… shit." Louise flinched when she heard the doctor swear. She may not have known him that long, but the image of the kindly old man who had taken her in didn't really lend it self to swear words,

"Damn wasps are nightmare. Sting is so painful all you can do is lie on the ground and scream. And hope your friends can kill them before they drag you off."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to be so morbid. Cazadores are not something anyone has the pleasure of forgetting." He said, visibly trying to shake the memories of the wasps away. It was uncomfortably reminiscent of the trader in the Saloon from the morning making her squirm slightly. However, the man seemed to have a subject on the tip of his tongue he wanted to get out, but whatever it was it seemed to be uncomfortable.

He seemed to be visibly hesitating, each word having an underlying uncertainty to it, his face holding a deep uncertainty for what he was going to say it seemed. "Now… Louise… there's something I've been thinking about, and you're probably going to call me crazy as you have every right to. But going over your situation again and again, it would be stupid not to bring it up."

He paused for a few more moments, the pinkette waiting for him to speak.

"If House does come for you, maybe you should go with him."

Silence dominated the area for many moments, the pink haired mage not blinking once as she eyed the doctor. "… what." She breathed out, her voice just barely above a whisper.

"Maybe you should go with House."

She shook her head. "No, no I heard you. But, you're right. You're crazy. Crazy!" She clenched her fists in anger, her eyes holding a sharp glare.

"Have you forgotten what he did to you? He kicked you out of your home just because you were in what he deemed his property! He let all of you waste away outside!"

"And he's also 200 years old." The doctor stated calmly.

At that the young mage's mind blanked, the internal ranting she had coming to a halt. Her mouth hung agape.

"W-what?" Was all she could muster.

"He's 200 years old. _At Least."_

She eyed the doctor for any signs of deceit or joking but there was none. Just the man looking intently at her. But that couldn't have been possille. Only Elves were known to live well beyond that.

She shook her head in disbelief. "But how!? How is that possible for a human? And how do you know?" She asked.

Mitchell chuckled. "Well for all of his greatness, House it seems has a bit of a braggart streak in him. He introduced himself as 'Robert Edwin House, founder and Ceo of RobCo industries.' Not in person mind you, but through one of those Securitrons. I'm not even sure the image used to represent himself was him or just an idealization. He probably forgot all about it. I know all of the others did. But then, we had other issues to worry about."

"RobCo?" She asked tilting her head.

"Company that specialized in robotics and computer technology, largest one in Pre War America. Which he founded. To make a long set of details very short, he's a brilliant man who founded the company responsible for much of the technology of the Old World. And he's still around. Speaking as a medical professional, that takes a serious amount of understanding biology and technology to accomplish."

"What does that have to do with anything?"She said demanding the point of that ludicrous suggestion.

"Didn't you just hear me? The man made himself live through the Great War and beyond. What I'm saying is, his understand og biology and technology might be able to help you get back home. He could help you stabilize your magic, get it working. He could easily supply you with all the Radaway, food and water that you could want. Heck, I might even wager he could help your body adjust to the wasteland."

She shook her head, tyring to come up with something, anything, to try and counter the points being made. "Why are you even suggesting this? How can endorse him after what he did? And how can you be sure he isn't just one of them that took on his image?"

"Well RobCo is responsible for the robots in the first place, so I doubt it's just an AI. I really don't a robot founded the company that built them, let alone allowed to run them. And I'm endorsing him because you living is my priority."

The last part made the mage go quite as she saw the serious look in his eyes.

"Whatever I may feel about the man, I'm not gonna throw away what he could offer at the expense of you. You deserve to know what your options are. I'm not denying that it might not be a perfect solution, but I'm not gonna downplay the benefits of it either. Especially if it increases your odds of surviving… and going home."

Louise said nothing, mulling over the idea a bit more seriously now. He had made some good points… but why would House even help her to begin with?

"What makes you think he would even want to help? What possible reason would he have to even consider helping me?"

At that Mitchell hesitated, his face hardening as if something foul had entered his nose. When he spoke, his voice carried a tone "Let me ask you a simple question Louise: Has your world been burned by nuclear fire?"

She understood in an instant, a jolt of understanding and fear lancing through her spine.

"No."

He nodded. "Exactly. Now, would it be really that out of the world to say that it's lush and green. Clean water, safer. Would It?"

"No…"

He nodded. "You understand. The potential to travel to a world with plants growing, a new chance? A chance to help the people of this world start over. Can you really deny how tempting that would be to House? Hell, to anyone?"

"It's not a perfect world. There's still wars between our people. And we have our own creatures to worry about." She tried objecting, but from just a few days she had been in here it seemed hollow even to her.

"Maybe. But it'll probably be a sight better than this one. And there's something I ever tell you what the war was about? Resources. The main powers of the Old World were getting desperate for any and all natural resources as the old reserves were tapped. Now, is your world like that?" He asked.

She gulped. "No."

He sighed. "Exactly. Make no mistake Louise, House would certainly have an agenda with you. But it would guarantee that he would follow through on helping you get home."

For another time today Louise was silent as the information she had been told was settling over her like a cold sheet of water.

"I won't make the decision for you, but I do want you to think about it. If you decide to stay here make sure you think about the night watch and learning how to shoot. Like I said earlier, If you want to stay, you need to win people over. One way or another, you're not getting anywhere without someone else's help."

Louise remained silent for some time after that.

...

* * *

After getting injected with another dose of Rad-X, Louise walked back to the Saloon for the evening group that would come in. There was the usual, by now, gossip about her hair, with some mentioning that they had heard about the odd pink haired girl in Goodpsrings and had wanted to come investigate. There was the usual stares, the tips from her supposed good looks. And she could feel the occasional 'gaze' on her. She felt a part of her bristle at that. It seemed that Trudy was right. There was people here for the sheer novelty that was Louise de la Valliere.

Louise for her part did what she did in the morning, but the thoughts in her head refused to go away. She had swept for a good while around the tables and entrance way, that damned sand and dirt taking some time to fully clean up. But the traffic had gone down considerably since she had left. Still left her a fair amount to do however.

It was when she was able to sit down and start wiping the wares again that she truly in earnest thought about what Mitchell had said about House.

She couldn't discount any of that if she were being honest. If the man truly was over two hundred years old, his knowledge should not be thrown away so easily. Granted, her magic was outside of this world if Mitchell were to be believed, which she did, but if House was truly as smart as he believed then understanding it may not take all that long.

And it was also true that he likely could supply her with enough medicine where it wouldn't be an issue. She could practice as long and often as she wanted. This event was unprecedented for her people so any timed devoted to understanding it would be invaluable however lengthy. And she knew it was going to be very _very_ lengthy without his help.

All in all, she could see why Mitchell had at least brought it up. The positives were undeniably powerful for her and thinking about them did appeal to her.

But… when all was said and done, she still couldn't truly see herself going willingly to him if it came to force. Or even going to him period. Why?

She would be dragged into his problems. Simple as that. A ruler of a city? A king? She knew Founder damn well they had problems.

She had Henrietta confiding in her many, many nights about the responsibilities starting to overwhelm her even when she wasn't crowned yet to thank for that. Knowing that one day, wars, politics, the future of an entire kingdom resting on your shoulders. Henrietta often confided in her all of those things and more, and how much the prospect of shouldering those things terrified her. Squelching a pang of homesickness again, Louise knew that all of that and more would become her problems as well if she decided to go to House.

The main worry was the NCR. From what she had heard, they were an encroaching group from the west, presumably from a place called California. She only heard things about them so far, from both Lorcan and Trudy, and she felt it was only fair to reserve true judgment on them until she talked to them properly. What was an objective truth about them though, from what she had gathered, is that they were moving into the Mojave. Expanding their territory into places that are starting to give them trouble. Like a city controlled by a Mr. Robert House.

She hadn't found out much more about House, the man was a recluse through and through. But she did know is that encroaching on a kings, well, kingdom was not something that went unnoticed. Or uncontested. Much like Goodpsrings, she knew she would likely have to earn her keep, but exactly what that entailed worried her. Really, throwing yourself into a rulers lot created much more problems than people might have realized.

Then, there was that Legion, whom she had heard surprisingly little about. Not much, but everything about them was bad it seemed. Slavery, brutal tactics, and just as intent on expanding into the Mojave as the NCR. No one here had any actual contact with them though, so she couldn't say for certain what was true and what was fictitious.

In short, there was a conflict coming here. And trying to seek help from House would drag her into it head first. There simply was no way around it. War was coming here and she would likely be considered an asset. And the fact that she didn't even know precisely how worried her beyond belief.

Gah, stupid world trying to drag her into their problems…

She set down the dishes she cleaned. There was nothing more to be done at the moment, though her ears were perked for the door opening again. So she had a few more minutes to think.

And then… well, there was the fact that, assuming everything went well with House, that still meant she would be responsible for creating a potential gateway between their worlds. As desperate as she was, only a true and utter fool would ignore the consequences of such a feat. A gateway to another world? Who would ignore that?

Her world, heck just the continent, would be a very tempting thing. Especially considering the state of this one. A scorched world or a green one? Mitchell was right. House would take one look at her world and she knew that something would happen.

Though maybe not right away, and ironically, she may have the coming war to thank for that. One would do well to secure their borders before expanding them, though not the NCR apparently, but even she felt they would try to get a more solid footing here before moving on. But that still left her at whoever she sided with at their mercy when it was over.

And that wasn't even getting into if they found out about her noble heritage. Her family had close ties to the crown of Tristain, and she was the princess best friend. If they found out about it, she was not blind to the possibility of being used as a bargaining chip. And that wasn't even getting close to the topic of introducing two people of different worlds to one another. While she knew the mages of Tristain and all the kingdoms were formidable fighters and blessed by Brimir himself , she could not deny these advanced guns, and yet unseen technological aspects of this world, could spell a more long drawn out war. Which she would cause…

She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. She just barely held back frustrated and agonized sobs. She just wanted to go home… but running off to the first person who could claim to help her do that would bring an unending amount of troubles at best. A political shitstorm, something despite being so vulgar Henrietta often said when younger, and conflict at worst. All because of her…

Oh Founder damn it… she felt tears forming again at the sheer weight of the situation nearly causing her to slam her head into the counter top.

"Woah! You're hair really _is_ pink!" Came a sudden exclamation, it's upbeat and excited tone not matching Louise mental state in the least.

The pink haired girl jumped, her eyes snapping to the source of the voice despite the slight sting they now had.

Peering over the counter was a young girl with sandy brown hair, a small rucksack hung over she shoulders and a large brimmed hat on her head. Her face has some freckles on it accentuating her blue eyes. Louise must have been too deep in her own thought to have hear the door opening.

Louise could almost swear that the girls eyes were sparkling. "I heard about it, but… wow…" The girl said, seemingly in a trance at the sight of the mage, making Louise uncomfortable. And rather annoyed at once again, her hair being the subject of conversation.

A sudden stomping of boots to the left heralded the arrival of a man in what looked to wearing a gray cap. His green colored coat clashing slightly with a grey set of trousers. "Dang it Dani don't go running off-" His words cut off when his eyes met Louise and she internally groaned.

* _Sigh* Go ahead…_ She thought.

"… Huh, so everyone wasn't bullshitting me when they said a girl with pink hair was working at Goodpsrings…"

Ugh. Granted, while pink hair back home was somewhat rare, there was only one other family that she knew of that had it, she was already sick of comments about it.

"Still doesn't change the fact that you ran off on me Dani." The man said giving the girl a scolding look causing her to wince.

"Sorry…"

He sighed. "Just don't do it again. Ah, sorry about ignoring you miss. Little one here was hearing stories about you from the other traders from here. Kept hearing you had odd choice of hair color and Dani wanted to see if they were true."

She looked again at the girl, still smiling at her. She averted her eyes once Louise looked at her though. Despite the annoyance of her hair once again being the topic of conversation, she felt it dissipate much sooner than it usually did. "It's fine. Can I get you two anything? Drinks?"

"Oh, uh, not really. Not much for alcohol, and we already stocked up on water at the springs down the way. Could use some food though. I hear geckos are pretty common around here, but we haven't seen much. Fine by me, means the animals aren't moving onto the roads." He explained as both he and, what she presumed to be his daughter climbed into chairs, literally in the girls case.

She opened the odd contraption call a 'refridgoorator', The familiar sensation of cold seeping over her arms and she pulled out the meat. She set them both in front of the patrons.

"Ten caps in total." She listed off. The man reached into a pouch of some kind and pulled out what was owed.

Putting them underneath the counter, in what was called a 'cash regester". Founder damn it. She knew she was likely hearing them wrong but it wasn't her fault they were odd sounding anyway.

"… can I touch your hair?" The girl suddenly asked.

Louise blinked, not expecting that request in the slightest.

"What?"

The man gave her a scolding look. "Dani… sorry miss. Apparently passing by a town full of escaped convicts takes second place to odd hair color on the scale of interesting shit happening." He said reaching for a fork and knives.

She raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what? What town?"

"You didn't hear? Primm's been taken over by a gang of, what are they called? Powder Gangers? NCR is making sure they don't leave, but beyond that… I talked to them, and it sounded like they just don't have the manpower to take back the town. They can't get anyone to come help them with it, and all the townsfolk are holed up in a building. Don't know how long they've been like that, but I don't think anyone would be doing too well in that scenario."

Louise felt her jaw drop at the story. This NCR… how Founder damn incompetent were they? Letting prisoners revolt, then letting them roam the countryside, nearly sacking a town and taking over another one. If mother were here, she would cut the heads of every single one of those criminals, and then she would have dropped them in the NCR's lap and told them that would happen to them if she ever saw such idiocy again.

She made herself sad, and disturbed, at her thoughts, but it was true.

He took note of the look Louise had and nodded in agreement. "I know. They've dropped the ball so many times, it's made a hole big enough for everyone else to trip over. And that's coming from someone who lived there all his life. All over that stupid dam."

Dam? She heard only a few conversations about it on that 'rad ee oh' about that and she didn't pay much attention to them. But if it was the cause for the incompetence she was hearing about she had a bit more reason to be curious.

"Dam?" She asked tilting her head.

"Hoover Dam. A giant Pre War structure that supplies most of the electricity for Vegas, and some NCR territories. Not to mention the large reservoir of clean water itself. There was a battle for it between the Legion and NCR for it about four years ago. NCR won, but just barely. Legion's been waiting for another chance to take it from them and now it looks like they got their strength back." He shook his head.

"I know they can't let the Legion win, God knows that wouldn't end well for anybody. But if they can't even keep their own territory secure, they might not have much of anything left to defend anyway. You know I think-"

"Dad, you're rambling again." The girl said sighing.

"Gah. Sorry. I tend to do that where politics are concerned. I just wish the NCR would get their shit together."

"I hope they get their shit together too." The girl said. making Louise flinch slightly.

"Hey now, no fucking swearing." He sad smirking, not having any real authority over that order.

The girl just giggled as well, finally digging into her food.

Louise watched the byplay between them, once again. Her own mother didn't have a tolerance for swearing. But then, she knew these people were already more rough and tumble than the people she used to associate with. She would even be willing to wager that even the commoners would be a bit unused to their mannerisms. There was just a sense of of… ruggedness. A toughness that only this place could breed.

The two ate in her presence for a while before the man talked to her again.

"So… uh… that hair of yours… is it natural? I mean, natural as it can be?"

She resisted sighing, though with more effort. "Well… yes actually."

"Ha! Tod yu!" The girl exclaimed, mouth full of food.

"Heh, alright. Well as far as mutations go, you could do worse. Uh, no offense."

She didn't resist sighing this time. "..none taken. I just wish people would stop talking about it…"

"Well, in the sea of brown outside you might as be well one big pink buoy, miss…" He trailed off waiting for a response.

"Louise."

He nodded. "Harvey. This here is Dani."

"Hullo!" She said, her mouthful of food not muffling her enthusiasm.

As she did though, she couldn't help but notice that she was the first child she had seen since coming to this world. None of the others in Goodpsrings had children as far as she knew, she hadn't seen any running around, and none of the traders and merchants seemed to have any in their group. Though she figured it was likely that taking one on a trek across dangerous lands was a bad idea.

Harvey must have seen the look on her face.

He was the one who let out a sigh this time. "I know that look. 'Why am I taking a kid across the wasteland?' Don't worry, I get asked that a lot. I'm hoping to start a life in the Mojave with her. We had some… trouble back home. Trouble that meant we couldn't go back. And cost us someone close to us. I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind." His face falling slightly, and even the girl looking a bit downcast for once. She had a pretty good guess as to what that meant.

Louise nodded.

"We got a solid supply of caps though. We're hoping to find somewhere to settle down and just get by. Thinking maybe Novac. I got some good years of work experience with caravans and that place sounds like that place is bit of a hotbed for them. A fair distance from Vegas to ensure travelers, a good scrap location and with the personal pull I get from the merchants traveling there, I think we can do alright." He said smiling before scowling.

"Just hope the roads haven't become too dangerous. I heard the north road out a here's been infested with Cazadores."

Louise nodded in confirmation. "Well, I haven't gone out of my way to check. But the man who claimed looked sure. Among other things." She said grimacing.

"Yeah. People said he disappeared, wasn't with any of the caravans or other traders." He said taking a bite of his teak as he did.

Really? Louise hadn't paid all that much more attention to the man after she had given him his drink.

"Regardless, it's crap like that will bite the NCR in the ass If they slack off. Hell, did you hear about the Axles?"

"Axles?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah. That's what they call themselves now. Mix of soldiers and mechanics from the NCRs mechanized division decided they wanted to go rogue for whatever reason. Stole a jeep with a plasma cannon on it and became one dangerous group of raiders. Me and Dani found out about them when we hit the Long 15 outpost. It had been attacked by them, a few smoking casualties from the NCR still lying around, melted metal and concrete from their plasma. We even heard they managed to catch someone and then dragged them behind their vehicle as they drove off. If we'd been just fifteen minutes earlier..." He shook his head.

"I may have come from the NCR territories, but I an't blind to it's faults. They need to start cracking down on that shit. If this keeps up, they won't even be able to keep fucking ants of the road."

Louise didn't say anything as she didn't have anything to add. That and finding out now that ants were also big. Lovely.

"What about you? Where are you from?" The girl asked looking at her intently.

Louise resisted the urge to bite her lip. She doubted they would believe her true story, and she wasn't keen to providing truth for it anyway. But she did feel like should say something. These people were being friendly at least. She just wished she didn't have to lie to them. Well, thankfully, in a way, she didn't have to.

"Well, I'm from a place called Tristain. A place to the west of here. A place where people have colored hair like me."

"Really?" The girl leaned forward slightly.

Louise felt a grin tug at her lips as she began to humor the girl more. "Yes. Some had green, blue, white, even purple hair."

"Did you get those clothes from there? Those look damn fine. Wouldn't be interest in selling them, would you?"

Again with that!

"No. Sorry."

"Ah well. Just asking. Those look like they could fetch a good price. You don't see many clothes like that, usually only big wigs can get something that nice. Where is your home exactly?"

She bit her lip. Both in sadness, and nervousness. "I… I don't know. I was forced out of there. And sadly, I could not tell you where to find it. All I know it, it's somewhere west."

He nodded."Ah. I see. Was it tribals with a penchant for clothes making and weird hair colors, or Vault Dwellers they had stored up for their mutations? NCR expedition teams always said those things always had something else going on in them besides keeping people safe." He said, his expression souring considerably.

Well, they couldn't verify either one, but maybe she should stick with something a bit more truthful.

"She has a Pip Boy dad." The girl said pointing to her left arm."

"Oh..." He said, a sheepish tone in his voice. Well at kne for certain what story she should go with.

"Vault Dweller. It was a common thing. I was forced out not too and I'm still kinda adjusting. I'm not used to living like this. And I'm not used to the radiation either. I've been absorbing it since I don't have the resistance people on the outside have."

Before she knew it, a small bag of caps was on the counter for her.

Harvey just smiled at her. "Don't worry, I got more than enough for a tip. Just felt right helping someone who needs it. Have a feeling Radaway wouldn't be something that goes for cheap."

"I can give you some money too… if you let me touch your hair!" The girl piped up, eyeing the locks with glee.

That little... oh why not, she would be getting something out of it. "…fine." Louise leaned forward, her locks of pink hair coming into arms reach of the girl.

Surprisingly she was a bit hesitant to do so, but when she did the girls smiles was nearing the brightness of a sun.

"Woah! It's so soft!"

'Well, she's had access to regular showers and Pre War hair care products so I'm not surprised." Harvey pointed out.

The girl just giggled, letting the pink hair fall from her grasp. Just as she said she reached into her pocket and pulled out ten caps.

One some level, she supposed she should be feeling annoyed at this. Having her hair caressed like an animals and constantly being treated as a zoo attraction. Yet Louise found herself smiling at the events, gratitude drifting off her form. It was actually rather amusing and seeing the child smile She flashed both of them a grateful look. She knew this world was not kind, and that they had their own problems. They still helped her despite their own issues.

Louise, for the first time since arriving in this world was able to truly smile.

The girls face however suddenly had a confused look on it. "Hey... if you're from a Vault, why aren't you wearing a jumpsuit? Thought that was what they all wore?"

Uh...

...

* * *

Thankfully she was able to work something out. She explained it away by saying that her uniform was simply a part of her made up Vaults customs. And they bought it too. Honestly it foreboded just how odd the real Vaults were more than anything. It helped her at least though.

It was half an hour before the two set off, for Novac they said, and Louise had to once again sweep up all the dirt and sand that had been brought in by all the patrons after they too had set off for destination unknown. Trudy was behind the counter cleaning up the dishes. The sun was starting to turn orange in the sky, the dastardly burning beams seeping in through the windows slowly losing their power. The saloon now was devoid of any travelers and merchants, only the locals of Goodpsrings remaining inside.

There were still a few general things to do around the store when the locals of Goodsprings came in. Though irritated at having to another sweeping run, at least Trudy was taking care of their orders. But she did remember what Mitchell said. Even if they turned her down, she should make it clear that she intended to prove her worth. She was behind the wall int he back hearing them conversing with one another after the long day. She could pick out Sunny and Trudy's voice, but all the others were unknowns to her.

Though nervousness fluttered in her stomach, she knew it had to be done. She knew House was likely up to something regarding her and as Mitchell said, without the support of the town she stood no chance on her own.

Steeling herself, she turned the corner and began marching towards the group.

Or she would have if a brief flash of pain caused her to clutch her head. Oh Founder, where did this come from? Was she starting to catch an illness? Mitchell had said it would likely be a matter of when not if it happened. But she had made sure to boil her water...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, accompanied by a slight increase of pain in her head.

She heard Trudy speak to whoever had just entered. "Jodie!" Louise heard Trudy shout. A sudden sound of footsteps followed by

"God, am I glad to you see you. Everything I've been hearing about the roads getting bad again, the fucking Cazadores to the north of here. Just glad to see you again. How are you?"

"Fine." She heard the mysterious woman say. Another jab of pain thumped within her head.

"Well, come one, first few drinks are on me."

"Ah, Forgive me... but I must use the restoom." She said, Louise could swear she felt her eyes on her position behind the wall.

"Oh, okay. Be back quick you hear?" The woman said something in the affirmative most likely, but Louise was distracted by yet another pain sensation in her head.

The footsteps grew louder near her position and before Louise knew it, a woman had round the corner and suddenly, Louise was face to face with 'Jodie'.

The woman wasn't extraordinarily tall, but the sudden uneasy feeling Louise got when she appeared, she may as well have been as tall as the damn saloon roof.. Not helped by the hooded jacket she wore. Her dark brown eyes staring at her, an expression blank, yet seemingly screaming gaping at her at the same time.

Her skin seemed unusually pale, at least compared to the general tanned skin of the wastelanders she had seen so far, and it didn't look like there appeared to be any sunburns.

When she spoke, however, the tone of her voice chilled Louise to her very soul.

"...you... what are you?"

"W-what?" Louise stammered out, backing away and clutching her head still. What in Founders name was this woman talking about?

She was still looking at her, her ice blue eyes"You… you are… different. Foreign. And…" She put a hand to her head and seemed to grimace in pain just before Louise did herself. She felt her breathing picking up, her heart rate increasing and her palms became sweaty. Whatever this was, whoever this woman was, she was frightening Louise very, very much.

"…there is something… off about you." Despite the situation Louise felt a hearty urge to snort. _You're one to talk!_

Suddenly she pulled back her hood, revealing an odd choice of headware. A red colored odd metal crown it seemed like, sat atop her head.

"… I must see. I must think." Was all she said before she removed the metal atop her head. The woman seemed to jolt in place, her eyes locking dead on with Louise's, the pink haired girl lets out a small strangled gasp as pain seemed to envelope her entire head.

The woman's eyes glazed slightly yet they did not lose their piercing edge.

"… you are not from here. Torn from your home and thrown in the sands, you attempt to find your way. A heritage being the only thing that will help you."

She wanted this to stop! She tried calling for help, but her voice it seemed did not want to cooperate.

"Thrown into the wild, people of all walks of life will find their way to you. Some with blood on their boots. Equally dangerous are the masks they carry."

Despite the pain, the words she spoke broke through it, making Louise stop her attempts to call for help and made the pinkette regard the woman with with the utmost attention.

"Friends with the chattering clown, the red eyes, an ember is lit."

"Fire is coming. The people you care about killed. An army marches."

"Another fire will come. Fueled by rage, oiled by despair. An empire of void, the result. The Fate Changer will march." She said, pointing a finger at Louise.

"Forecast: Purification in progress."

With that the woman put her headgear back on, somehow the entire conversation going unnoticed by everyone else in the saloon, which was giving Louise no end of confusion. Surely that had to have heard that. The saloon was dead quite and yet no one seemed to bothered by the entire Founder damn conversation! Louise was still shaken by it, she had to brace herself against a wall.

But the woman looked far worse. Her eyes were wide, her whole body was sweaty and her legs seemed like they were ready to give out. She couldn't blame her. Louise was still in shock herself from from whatever just happened. Even speaking it seemed took more effort than usual.

"You shouldn't be here." Her words came out in a harsh whisper, the malice and fear nakedly apparent win them. Her eyes hardened, and she took on an aggressive stance.

Suddenly fearing for her own safety again, Louise backed away slightly, still just as confused as ever."What… what are you…" Louise tried to finished her sentence, but it was for naught. Something flashed in the woman's eyes, coinciding with a particularly sharp pain in her forehead and just as quickly as she barged into her, the woman suddenly took off running, the door of the saloon flying open as she flew outside, running off into the distance, the old man in the chair looking after with a bewildered look that rivaled Louise.

Trudy poked her head outside the door after her, before turning and spotting Louise. She walked over, a look of intense concern on her face.

"Louise? What the hell happened? What the fuck did you do?" Trudy demeaned.

Louise backpedaled slightly, unsure of that herself.

...

* * *

 **Yes, the woman was a Psyker, and yes, she is the Forecasters mother. They exist in Fallout so I'm not pulling any lore BS I promise you. Psykers I mean. The mother I made up.**


	7. A Clean Face VI

**Just a heads up: I edited the last chapter, as well as some minor ones in the past chapters to smooth them out. Nothing major was changed, but I did change how the last chapter ended. Just give the ending of the last chap a quick glance, and you'll be golden.**

* * *

She shook her head, still bracing herself against the wall. The pain was mostly gone, but Founder... she wanted to never experience something like that again. "I… I... I don't know. That woman approached me. She said some weird things and then… didn't you hear that entire conversation? We weren't that far away."

Trudy's face scrunched in confusion. "What conversation? What the hell did you say to make her take off running? I didn't hear anything."

"What? I don't know. She said things, weird things. Me being thrown into the wild, uh, chattering clowns? A fate changer. You couldn't hear any of that?" Louise asked perplexed.

"Wait. Saying weird stuff? Was she giving you your fortune? Or forecast?"

Louise shook her head in frustration at the cryptic answer. "I don't know! Could you please explain?" Louise said, a demanding tone starting to creep into her voice. Everything was still going far too fast for her to process! First that woman's just barges into her and then she takes off and now Trudy comes in rambling about fortunes! She needed some answers Founder dammit!

Trudy, although giving her a bit of a look, nevertheless gave the pinkette some much desired answers. Albeit with a frosty tone."That was Jodie. She's s a wanderer around these parts. She brings in junk and food for trade, or puts is the Dropbox for couriers to deliver. I've talked to her a lot of times, and she's really a nice person and a close friend to me, she really helped me through some times, but she's an odd one. She has a… gift let's say."

Louise blinked, letting her hand fall from her head, though the pain still lingered. "Gift?"

"Yeah. She calls it 'thinking'. Some weird stuff, but she makes good caps off people using 'it' if it even exits. People said her 'thinking' seems to pan out almost always, so I dunno maybe there is something to it." She said shrugging her shoulders.

 _So... she was a seer?_ The pink haired girl thought. She had heard about those people from time to time back in her home. People claiming they could see the future. But that was heretical nonsense... wasn't it? Surely It was."She was your friend right? You knew her well? What else did you know about her?"

"Well, she has a son. She's mentioned him from time to time. But, from what I understand, she can't be with him."

"Why?"

"She said 'it causes great discomfort'. Even with her 'medicine' as she calls it. Her headpiece, that weird red crown thing. Only way she can help is by sending food and water to the 188 trading post. I'm guessing that's where he is. Why, I have no idea. It's her business though and I didn't probe much further than that. Now, If you'll indulge me in some slight hypocrisy, what did say about you, and what did you do to send her off running?" Trudy asked, her tone not leaving any more room for Louise to ray and maneuver out of this conversation.

Louise shook her head. "I don't know. She said a lot of things. Some thing about my home, a chattering clown, red eyes… I don't think any of that applies to me though."She explained, repeating what she had said not two minutes ago.

"They usually don't, not until they happen. If you don't want to talk about it that's fine. But what on earth happened that made her run out?"

Louise shook her head, her tone exasperated. "I have no idea. After she was done, she just took off! "

Trudy looked back at the door, a confused expression on her face.

That's all that happened?" She asked turning back to her.

"Yes. That's all that happened." Louise stated, perhaps a bit more forceful than necessary.

A pregnant pause followed as Louise began to digest the information **.** "Well, I hope she comes to her wits eventually. At least I know she's still alive, but…" She paused again, a long and tired sigh escaped her lips as she massaged her forehead in frustration.

"Just- here's your days pay." There wasn't anything more said as she handed Louise a small bag full of what sounded like caps.

Louise quietly took the payment, the frustrated look on Trudy's face and her now cold attitude towards Louise unnerving the girl. Still keeping her eyes on her, Louise began to make her way to the group of people at the bar. Trudy, the one person she thought she could count on without question, now seemed much more uncertain. Themnagain, with those Cazadores starting to creep into the area Well… that settled it then. It was without question. She needed to sign up for this night watch.

...

* * *

Still feeling the chill from the curt talk with Trudy, Louise rounded the corner from the general lounge area, to the bar to find what seemed like the entire town. An assortment of people all lounging in the bar area, a few drinks in hand in some of them. Others just seemed to be standing or sitting around the area, chatting with one another. She spotted Sunny easily enough, her blond hair and canine companion. She also spotted Kenny among them, the man's eyes already on her as soon as she came into view. She really only recognized those two. All the others though...

It was that she took the scene in it's entirety that the full weight of what Mitchell said hit her. She truly had no idea who any of these people were. Just a bunch of faces without names attached to them now staring at her.

And these were the people that she would have to count on to stuck up for her if House came for her… Oh Founder. She felt her confidence, already shaken earlier from Trudy begin melting even further.

Ironically, it was Sunny that stopped it.

"Hey Louise. You need something?" The words jolted her out of her trance, a sudden determination alight in her stomach.

"Ah, hello." She said walking closer to the group. She was close to them now, the burn of their stares had increased so much, she wa sure she would burst into flame son the spot. Unfamiliar faces stared at each other before she continued.

She swallowed, her throat dry, as she began to speak."I just wanted… to express my gratitude. I know there have been concerns over me being here, and I wanted to say thank for letting me stay regardless."

"Well, no offense, but that's not good enough. Two people stopped here, needing our help, and we got into a fight over one, and just nearly avoided a fight with another. I heard what you said about the NCR. The fuck makes you think we want to get into a tangle with them?" He said, narrowing his eyes at her. Some of the people looked at each other, the main point against her having been made.

"Kenny, it's not like she got into a tangle with them. All she did was stumble on the aftermath of a scuffle. I thought you were listening." Sunny snarked.

Kenny scowled. "I was. And you know how pushy they can get when there's something they want. We can't rule out that they might do. That includes coming for this girl here. Why should we put our necks on line? Besides, I think we just seen that she's more than capable of sending people running all by her lonesome." Kenny said, smirking as he took a passing glance at the door.

There was some muttering from the group, and it didn't sound good. The looks they gave her. Only a few seemed to hold any semblance of friendliness.

"That… I-I… I don't know what that was!"Louise Sputered out. Sunny tried to get a word in, but Kenny cut her off.

"Look kid, frankly, I don't care what it is. I don't think you should be here. You're gonna drag us into something, one way or another. I just know it." He said glaring at her.

Louise didn't know what to say. The truth of those words stung her deep. It was true. Even of the NCR didn't show up, she had a feeling House would eventually. She could almost feel herself wilting under their collective gaze.

"The hell you all talking about?" A familiar voice called behind Louise.

Turning her head behind her, she saw Trudy rounding the corner from the lounge area, joining the group by the . Her eyes were still as frost as when Louise left, and she turned that on the group, silencing most.

She briefly aimed that gaze towards Louise, the girl flinching at it. Then, they seemed to soften."… She's not going anywhere." She said, surprising Louise most of all. She was sure that Trudy would have turned against her, but the older woman glanced at her, a reassuring look on her face.

"Then what the hell was that woman's deal? She sure seemed like something was up with her the way she ran out the door." Kenny pointed out.

"…I don't know. But I'm not gonna throw her out over it. She's been working and pulling her weight since she got here and hasn't caused any problems for anyone in that time." Trudy said, eyeing the man.

He scoffed. "Sure. Working at a bar while she might put us in danger. Real fair. Just like that other one who squatted in our gas station."

"That's why I wanted to volunteer for the night watch!" She shouted, stopping all conversations dead. Louise's mouth shut close with a click as she felt the eyes of everyone turn to her.

Everyone looked at her with surprise.

"I want to volunteer for the night watch." She repeated, quieter, nervous with the looks she was being given.

He stared back, for once his disdain for her replaced with genuine surprise, as did most of the group. However, it quickly gave way to an arrogant smirk. "… sure kid. Hey you know how to work a 9mm?" He said as he took out a gun from his holster. He seemed to eject something from the handle, a metal container of some sort as he held out his gun. It was an odd looking one. It seemed to have a rather bulky yet narrow build. It just looked like a rectangle of metal to her, barring the handle.

"I…" She started.

He interrupted. "A 9mm. do you know how to work it?"

Already feeling a bit slighted from this man, she felt her pride guide her next words."Of course I do. I know to work that... nine mileemeter." She said gesturing to the gun.

"It's a 10mm." He stated still with that smile, and yet so flat, as if he had to explain something very stupid.

She could feel herself heat up as the rest of the people looked unimpressed, one even giggling at the display. The sudden heat in her face made her worry about giving her another layer of burns.

"Like anyone would want you watching their backs. Wouldn't even take you to clear out a radroach infestation" Kenny said as he reinserted that metal container and holstered his gun, still smiling smugly.

That smile… that damn smile! "Then I'll learn. I'll learn how to shoot. I'll start tonight!" She yelled, feeling her pride, already a bit wounded, push her along .

Smiling, Sunny got up. "Good. I didn't want to sit near a bighorners rear much longer." She said, flashing a look at Kenny, who's smiled faded at her words.

" Shall we get started Louise?" Sunny asked, hoping to get out of here.

She still kept her eyes looked with Kenny's. Memories came over her. Of her days in the Academy. That same mocking, disrespectful look. She clenched her fists, her nostrils flaring slightly.

Some things never changed it seem. 'Yes. Lets" She broke her gaze, a very familiar feeling alight in the pit of her stomach: The desire to prove herself.

...

* * *

She followed Sunny, and her dog, out of the Saloon taking the back door out of the building. The setting sun wouldn't be too hard for her to be out in, but still she loathed it. They would linger much longer with an sun exposure, she knew that. As they made their way however, Sunny decided to speak up.

"Kenny's starting to really get on your case isn't he?" Sunny stated more than asked as she kept walking. They started going up a bit of a slope, the smaller girl struggling slightly to keep up.

"Is it that obvious?" She snarked, venom in her voice "That man Is just… just..." She tried coming up with something, but Sunny beat her to it.

"Like a bighonrer ass, with none of the good looks?" Sunny quipped.

"Well I was going to say rude."

"Eh, mine's more accurate." She said finally coming to a stop. Sadly they had passed the

On what seemed to be the remains of an old brick wall stood some bottles. There was also shards of broken ones near it and the wall was pocked with holes. Quite a lot really. She had an idea of what this was.

"A shooting range." Louise stated aloud.

"Yep. If you can nail the bottles and targets like the obvious you should do fine." Sunny said grinning.

"Ye-Hey!" Louise exclaimed.

She just smiled brighter, her dog barking happily at the pink haired girls expense.

"Well, if you don't even know the difference between a 9mm and a 10mm, I suppose the should start with that. THIS, is a 9mm." Sunny said as she pulled back the top part of the gun.

As much as a novice as she was, Louise could see the differences already. This gun was considerably less bulky. It didn't look like one block of metal and instead has a sleeker design. A black metal body with a brown handle; different from the monotonous grey of the 10mm'.

Sunny held the gun by the handle out to her. "Well, come on then. Can't shoot without a gun."

Slowly nodding, she gingerly grabbed the gun, the metal feeling cold and foreign, despite the heat that she had come to know quite well surrounding them.

Or maybe it was the cold dread of reality snaking it's way to her. Either way, she was holding a gun. One far more advanced than she had back home. And the responsibility she would have to pick up with it...

Sunny interrupted her internal musings. "First, keep your finger away from the trigger at all times, unless you really are committed to pulling it. Even if the safety is on." She said, pointing to what looked like a small button on the side of the gun.

"Safety?"

"Means the gun won't fire when you pull the trigger. But just like not pointing it at people unless you want to use it, those are just some basic gun safety tips. Even if the safeties on and it's empty. Got it?" Sunny asked, giving her a stern look.

Louise nodded. Common sense things. She could handle that.

"Good. Won't be much use without these though." She said, deftly procuring something and handing it to Louise. Examining it, she found it to be a black metal container, with what looked like a series of other metal objects inside.

Wait, were those the projectiles they used? The entire thing? No, it couldn't be. The barrel seemed just a bit too small to allow it. Examining the small object within, she realized that it was comprised of two parts. The actual projectile seemed to have a case that covered most of it, just leaving the top part exposed.

She didn't see any gunpowder, or any other igniting agent...unless...

 _Is it inside that case?_ She thought looking at it more intently.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Load the gun up and let's get this started." Sunny said, impatince obvious in her tone.

Shaking her head, Louise started to do that. She put two and two together quick enough and inserted the magazine into the handle… the wrong way at first, much to the blondes amusement. After the failed attempt, she quickly corrected it, the silent but amused smile from Sunny hurrying her along. She clicked it into place, looking to Sunny for further instructions.

"Now, pull back the top part to chamber a round. And make sure you don't pinch yourself with it." Sunny explained, motioning with her hands the correct way to go about it.

Louise copied it to the best of her pulled, it was a bit harder then she assumed, but eventually it was done. Founder she was weaker than she thought she was. With a click signalizing she had completed that step, she waited for the next one.

"Now, take aim and try to hit one of those bottles. The one on the far left" She said pointing to her target, making a motion with the pointer finger curling inwards.

Taking a breath, the pink haired girl awkwardly raised the gun, the weight taking some getting used to by her, and did her best to try and get the gun lined up with her target. If it weren't for these damned metal protrusions in her way. She did her best regardless, and when she felt she had a good enough chance she took it.

She pulled the trigger… or tried to. It seemed stiff, unmoving. What the-

"Bit of a test to see if you remembered what I said Louise. Forgetting something?" Sunny asked, leaning forward slightly.

No, she was sure that she… oh, the safety. Right. Once again embarrassing herself in front of her teacher, Louise pressed the button, it going through the gun internally. Another button popped out on the other side, this one having a red coloring on it.

"Go ahead. Take your first shot. Use those sights to help you. Line up the middle one in between the two on the side. Zero in on that bottle on the far left." Sunny said.

Sights? Ah, she was wondering what those protruding metal pieces were for. Line them up then very well then. Following her instructions, Louise moved the gun slightly, until she had lined up the center sight on the farthest left bottle.

Feeling everything was in order, and feeling an intense mixture of giddiness and fear, she pulled her finger on the trigger firing off her first shot.

She promptly let out a sharp yelp as a much sharper and more painful explosion of noise assaulted her ears, and a pain in her hand. She didn't even bother to check to see if she hit her target. She knew the likely answer.

"Oh Founder above, that was loud!" She exclaimed, bringing her free hand up to her left ear in a futile attempt to sooth it.

"… Okay really? You didn't even know that? You were right next to one going off." Sunny brought up, thinking back to the day she was rescued.

Louise didn't respond, her ears screaming wouldn't allow it. She nearly was doubled over from her now flaring eardrums. And how often did she have to do this in order to get good? She'd be lucky if she could hear banging pots and pans right next to her.

"Ah shit, sorry Louise. I thought you were prepared for it." Sunny apologized, walking over with a concerned look on her face. That was until she spotted something off towards town.

"The hell?"

Following her look, Louise spotted a person watching them from town. Kenny. The man was watching from the back doorway of the Saloon, a bright mocking smile visible even from here.

"So, can she at least hit the air inside her barrel?" He yelled letting out a laugh.

"Oh, save that shit coming outta your mouth for your gardens!" The blond haired woman yelled, for some reason raising her middle finger in what she assumed to be a rude gesture, which just made Kenny laugh harder. Louise glared at the man, his laughter bringing back memories. That arrogant smile... her teeth clenched at the sight.

Turning back to her. "Alright… oh keep that thing pointed to the ground." Sunny gently scolded.

Louise looked at the gun in her hand, realizing that she had it up more than it should be. She quickly pointed the thing to the ground.

"Look, do you wanna take a break, or…"

"No." She said , a look of determination etched in her features. She looked Sunny in the eyes, her own telling her all she needed before Louise even spoke.

"I want to keep practicing."

"Well, alright. Now, I noticed some things you were doing wrong. Improper stance, breathing wrongly. Little things than can make a big difference. Now, place you feet…" The woman explained, beginning the lesson in full for her.

...

* * *

Four days. Four days had passed since Louise de la Valliere had taken up being a waitress at Goodsrpings, and had begun her steps into shooting. Four days of working at the Saloon, earning caps, hearing the usual chatter about her hair, and getting increasingly disdainful looks from Kenny. Nothing really much at all happened besides that. Some of the others, at the very least, were willing to give her chance, but with every day, she could feel the air get heavier. There was till a certain barrier between them and Louise felt It wouldn't go away unless she took part in a patrol.

She could feel it. Despite the occasional disagreements this town had,there was certainly a comradrey between all of them. And Louise herself could feel the stink of an outsider on her… Some were willing to give her a chance sure, and even Trudy wasn't as mad as she thought she would be. But Louise did talk to her the past few days. She opened up about just how much Jodie helped her. Her abilities more than once saving her life and staying with her through some troubling times. They truly were friends... and Louise sent that woman running back out into the wild without even time for them to catch up...

Founder, she was lucky Trudy took it was well as she did. Still, she knew it was just more incentive to truly make herself useful to the town.

And with House likely keeping one eye on her, which she had a cold feeling he was seeing Victor seemed to be in range of her a little too often for her liking, she knew she needed to truly get on their good graces sooner rather than later. Her taking up shooting to be more useful had helped her image, some seemed a bit more willing to engage in small talk with her at least, but... she just knew she had to go that extra mile.

Just as soon as she could fire a gun and hit what she was aiming for.

...

* * *

Louise fired off a shot, hitting the very top of the can, sending it flying off the wall. Sunny had decided to switch to them mostly their second day. They could be reused more often than the cans were, which were mostly bent enough that they wouldn't be missed by anybody.

"Founder…" She cursed. Too high. That was her most common problem.

"Hey, you got a lot more hits than misses overall today Louise. Still a damn sight better than when you first started. You only hit one bottle that day."

Well, that was true. It had been an embarrassing first day, what with all the mishaps and her grand total of one bottle shot. Since then she had seen marked improvement, especially with Sunny's pointers. And that was with her Pip Boy didn't hanging on her wrist. Still, they both knew that shooting stationary bottles who weren't attacking didn't exactly provide much in the way of true experience. All she knew so far was how to handle a gun. Handling a gun under pressure was a different thing, whether from beast or bandit.

And that honestly terrified her. In this world of monsters, man and beast alike, she knew that killing either was likely going to be a matter of when, not if. The animals she could deal with. After all, her own mother had to occasionally go off on missions to kill rampaging beasts back home.

It was the people that worried her. They weren't some dumb animals, and they could shoot back. And she would have to kill them… She felt her stomach tighten up at the prospect, the mental images no helping her in the least.

"Hey Louise, you missed that one. Something up?" Sunny making Louise realize her mistake.

She had been musing while she was shooting. Not good. No wonder she missed.

She clicked the safety on, and pointed the gun to the ground and turned to face Sunny."It's just… I was just thinking that I would have to use this against a person… eventually."

Sunny nodded. "Yeah… yeah you probably will. Even If you stay here, we can't rule out some shithead or shitheads coming here and try to start something. Those Gangers were the first ones in a while, but they weren't the only ones."

Louise was silent, the admission not helping her feel any better. After a few minutes, she spoke. "What was it like… killing a person?" Louise asked.

The woman let out a long exhalation of air, memories seemingly coming over her for a brief second.

"The first time? I felt sick. Hated myself for it. And that was even though it was self defense. I'll admit, It got a bit easier as time went on, but I make it a point not do it unless I had no choice. Like with those Gangers. They weren't gonna leave us alone unless we showed them who's boss." Sunny explained.

"I'm not gonna promise anything Louise, anything can happen. All I know if, if it does happen, you won't be alone to face it. Got It?"

Louise nodded, more for image's sake than anything. Sunny's explanation, well, it had been rather close to what her own mother had said about the matter, at least, her reaction to doing it the first time. As much as she beheld herself to the 'rule of steel', she was always honest about that. But then, it was a serious matter, and her mother never once hid the fact that doing it changed you on some level. She knew Louise's aspirations, and she was honest about what she was likely going to face, and to do.

Now that it was staring at much more closely, the prospect caused no small amount of dread for her. But she did her best to shove it to the side for the moment.

"Good. Now, back to your shooting. You've definitely improved enough to say I think you could handle a night watch. Nothing happens most of the time thankfully, so that helps." Sunny said.

"Please don't curse it." Louise said. She'd read enough books in her time to realize that those words had the genuine potential to bring a second apocalypse.

"Good point. Still, as improved as you are, I'd like to get you some actual live target training. Plus, you need to get used to the idea of lugging around ammo and weapons for a patrol. You're gonna be spending a lot more hours on your feet and at a time where you'd usually be in bed. You could do with some endurance building." Sunny pointed out.

Louise flinched, not liking the creeping tone of a smile that Sunny had. "What did you have mind?"

"We're going on a hunting trip."

* * *

 **I can't wait until we get past this tutorial arc.** **For now though, we'll just have to contend ourselves with Louise going on a hunting trip, on which I'm sure nothing will happen...**


	8. A Clean Face VII

It was mere minutes after Sunny had told them that they would be going out , the blonde leading her back to her house in the town proper where she stored her equipment. She had been assured that the local wildlife, geckos and coyotes, were not dangerous. Or rather, not as dangerous compared to the other creatures roaming this world. Louise believed her, she honestly did as she had witnessed far more dangerous beasts such as griffins and manticores, and they could fly, she knew dangerous creatures. Despite her internal logic, the apprehension in her being had shot up immensely. Her stomach felt as if butterflies had taken up residence inside, and her mouth had dried considerably. The blonde, noticing her trepidation, spoke.

"Louise relax. If you really want people to trust you enough to watch their backs you need to do this. Coyotes and geckos are our main problem causers, along with the occasional radscorpion. Once you learn how to handle them, I think you'll be beyond ready for the night watch."

"Are you sure this gun will be sufficient in stopping them?" She said looking at the small piece of metal in her hand.

"Yep. Might take just a few more shots than a rifle, but I want to be sure you can shoot straight with a pistol first before we move you up to that. Even then… well, I'll be frank, I'm not sure you could handle that. The varmint rifle kickback might be too strong for someone of your… stature. And that's among the weakest." Sunny said.

Of course. It couldn't be enough that her short height was just a detriment to her looks, oh no, now it had to hinder her in survival. Lovely.

"But, then again, I learned to handle lever action rifles pretty young and was just as scrawny, so maybe there's hope for you yet."

"May-Hey!" Louise exclaimed.

Smirking at her joke, sunny opened a cabinet revealing some bags and some green colored metal boxes. She deftly picked one and handed it to the pink haired mage, the girl hesitantly taking it. Then, as Louise did her best to secure the bag, Sunny opened one of those green metal boxes, and when she did, Louise realized they contained more of those 'magazines'. She handed the mage four of them, two of them in both of her outstretched hands.

"Four mags. For any decent gecko hunter, these should be plenty. Not like we're hunting Yao Guai." Louise had no idea what that meant, but she assumed the worst.

That wasn't much to work with, but she did understand the reasoning behind it.

"Don't worry. If it starts to look hairy, I got plenty to keep us protected. Plus, Cheyenne's coming with us, and she can tear off a gecko's hind leg faster than you can blink. But I want you get in your head that you need to make every shot count. You won't have the luxury of an entire armory worth of ammo out in the wastes, so you better make sure you can make it last. Got it?" The hunter said looking at her intently.

Four magazines… that was all she had to work with. Then again, she also had an attack dog and an experienced hunter by her side, and, well, it sounded like that short of the entire town by her side, she felt that was a pretty good deal as far as protection she would get out there. And if her ultimate goal was the night watch, then this had to be done.

It didn't quell the fear snaking through her insides however.

Regardless, Louise stored away the three magazines into a small pouch Sunny had given her on her second day of training, and loaded one into her 9mm, pulling back on the top part which had become more natural to her as Louise progressed through her training. Double checking to see that the bullet was now chambered, and her safety on, she was about say she was ready there was a knock at the door.

Sunny opened it and revealed it to be one of of the local farmers around town, and one that mad made the most attempt to get to know her.

Louise felt herself rest a bit easy, a small but pungent thought in the back of her head had it being Kenny at the door. He was more open than most about letting her stay here, especially after she had taken up shooting lessons. He was younger than most of the other residents, around his mid twenties. He was even slightly handsome, not that she would ever voice that. He wore a cap which reminded her of a duck bill, a faded orange long sleeved shit with numerous patch jobs on it.

"Oh. Hey Luke." Sunny greeted, a bit surprised herself.

"Uh, hey Sunny. Louise." He greeted in return. Honestly, if it weren't for one little thing, she could very easily see them becoming friends with enough time as the impression she had gotten from Luke was the has a hard working working and honest man.

That thing being, he was also Kenny's closest friend as well.

Everyone could feel it, as both Sunny and Luke fidgeted where they stood, the air between them clouded by that fact.

"You, uh, two heading out for some hunting?" He asked.

"Yeah. Louise has gotten better at handling guns, but I want her to get some live target experience before I can give my wholehearted approval."

"Good." He said, still having. Though with a shake of his head, he decided he had enough of it. "Look, I'll cut right to chase. I wanna come with you."

"You? The bosom buddy with Kenny, the man who's made her stay here as difficult as possible, that Kenny?" She asked not hiding her annoyance with Kenny at all.

"Yeah. I do." His blunt response startled Sunny so he went ahead.

"I'm not gonna deny any of what he said, or try to sugarcoat it. I just want to give both sides an even chance. And I realized that, outside of you, Mitchell and Trudy, no one really talks to her all that much."

Well, that was true. Even the man before them right now, Louise only recalled having brief conversations that never really delved too deep into any topics. Socializing, well, if wasn't her family, or professors, she could admit it wasn't her strong suit. She had an entire year of the Academy to thank for that. If it wasn't simple business talks, it was fending off insult to her honor. Luke, while friendly, really didn't know much about her. Then again, she couldn't reveal her true nature just yet, so maybe that was for the best. But she did need people to trust her at least. She needed to think of something...

"I realized that needed to change. This air between her and the town needs to get cleared up. No one else was really making a move, so I decided to take some initiative. Even if Kenny said I should do otherwise." Luke finished.

"…Well, what do you reckon Louise? Should we take him?" Sunny asked, looking back at her.

She looked at Luke, the man waiting for an answer. She already knew hers. "Sure."

...

* * *

It had been about three minutes since they had set out, sun high in the sky and beating down on the three human hunters and their canine companion. Louise for her part, was not happy about being in the sun again, especially since her previous burns were starting to heal up. And Sunny didn't have any hats that she could wear sadly.

And she only wished she could have washed her clothes. Five days of wearing the same uniform had not been pleasant ones. She could feel it becoming more matted with her sweat and body oils every day, and much to her embarrassment, she had noticed the beginnings of some yellow spots underneath her armpits. This was the first time in her entire life that she had gone this long without bathing and she was sure other people could smell her.

"So, Louise. This is your first time leaving town since you got here right?" Luke asked, taking her mind off of her personal hygiene.

She cast a brief glance back at the buildings, uncomfortably far away for her

"Yes. Ever since I heard about those hunters, I saw no reason to venture far."

He nodded. "I hear ya. Those monsters aren't something you ever want to run into. But we're gonna have to eventually clear out that infestation Sunny. We really don't want those things getting too settled." He said, though Louise could make out the tension on his face as he did.

The woman sighed. "I know. Might have to hire some mercs to help, and stock up on weapons, ammo, meds. Those hills give the things plenty of places to ambush us, so I don't wanna head in there until we're absolutely sure we can take 'em."

He nodded. "And if those things came from the north… I hope Bonnie Springs is okay. We're their closest neighbor and we can't even get to them. The only other people are the Fiends, and they ain't all that intent on having a fair trade. Well, unless you got a shitload of chems."

"Fiends?" Louise asked, wondering if he was referring to typical bandits, but something told her there was more to it than that.

"A group of raiders infesting the southern ruins of Vegas. A pack of drugged out lunatics that managed to secure a Vault as a base. Poor bastards. First steps into this world and they meet _them._ Talk about shitty luck." Luke explained shaking his head.

"Now, keep in mind, a lot of raiders are usually on some sort of chems, but the Fiends… they take it to a whole 'nother level. Some say it's literally ALL chems at once. Don't know it's it's true or not, but I think it's safe to say their brains are utterly fried. They're more animal than person at this point. Really, the only thing keeping them under control is the NCR's Camp McCarren. Largest base in the Mojave in NCR control."

"Really? So they actually did something productive for once?" Louise asked, a slight smirk playing at her features.

Sunny and Luke both appeared to be snickering as well. "Heh. Don't give them too much credit. From what I hear they can't do much besides keep them contained… and distracted. Gotta save all those soldiers for the dam…" He finished sighing.

"But, you said they were near Vegas right? Isn't it dangerous that have a bandit group like that near a city?" Louise asked.

He shook his head, grinning. "Yep. I'm confident that House's robots, and all the NCR soldiers there could stop them, they have an embassy there after all. But then again, the south ruins has a lot of hiding places, and no one other than the Fiends have managed to breach the Vault. Sometimes I wonder if they ever got organized enough." He said trailing off into unpleasant thoughts.

Once again, Louise herself annoyed by the NCR. A completely insane group of thugs right next to a city AND their largest base, and they STILL can't do anything? Honestly, knowing what she knew now, she might have taken her chances going with Lorcan when they met. Even the musketeer corp could probably outdo these idiots!

The sheer level of incompetence was unforgivable in her eyes. They seemed more intent on merely showing everyone they could be everywhere rather than they actually SHOULD be everywhere. A boisterous move that her mother had told her always lead to avoidable deaths and lost battles.

She lowered her head slightly as the thought of home entered her mind.

"Well good thing we're not after Fiends today. Now you two quiet down. We're coming up on the water springs. Gecko's tend to try and get a few mouthful of water from them so get on your guard now."

Luke nodded, and Louise felt her grip on gun tighten and her stomach suddenly went for a loop. This was it. Maybe it wasn't her first true battle, those flying bugs took that claim, but it was her first time using a gun. She may have improved, but she had no illusions she was a master yet.

"Hear that?" Sunny asked, interrupting her thoughts. Louise perked her ears and indeed she did.

It sounded like an odd sort of croaking, and after a brief pause, followed by some more.

"Get low, follow me." Was all she said, her dog as well seemingly moving with well practiced movements to keep itself more subtle. She was passed by Luke, and she did her best to follow.

Louise followed suit, making her profile smaller, heart pounding in her chest.

As they rounded the rocks, Louise finally saw what she had been eating for the past few days.

It was indeed an enlarged version of gecko's than she was used to seeing back on her world, it standing on its hind legs was proof enough of that. Though, she hadn't seen any gecko with its color scheme of a mostly grey hide and some light blue stripes on its back. It was standing next to a small stone basin, presumably filled with water. The thing greatly resembled the salamanders back home, though it didn't sound like these one could breath fire, so that was something at least. Still, she shuddered at the unsettling human posture it had, and she hoped it was just as a dumb as an unbranded salamander.

She could see it using it's forearms to brace itself as it leaned forward into a water basin to take some gulps and lean it's head back, croaking in delight after it did so.

"And that is why we boil our water." Luke said, shaking his head in disgust at the sight. Louise felt her stomach go for a dangerous whirl at that thought.

"He doesn't know we're here. Louise, think you can hit him?" Sunny asked, looking back at her.

She didn't say anything for a few seconds, looking between Sunny and the monster at the water. Determination briefly overcame trepidation long enough for her to answer.

"Yes." She did her best to put confidence into that word.

After a brief nod, Sunny made room for Louise to come forward, still crouching as she did. Her stomach was still doing loop de loops, but she did her best to try and put a clamp on it.

She took a breath, and a few more after, to calm herself. She raised her arms, pointing her gun at the center mass of the creature, aiming just below the forearms where she had been told where the heart was.

She didn't know why it did next affected her so much. Maybe it was the nervousness of the day building to a breaking point, or maybe it was the way those eyes locked onto her. Either way, the results were pathetic.

It turned around so quickly, it's head fins standing on end and it's mouth open and barring it's teeth, and those eyes stared right at her.

Louise yelped, and her shot wasn't even close, she could just barely make out where it impacted on the ground behind the creature. It in return, hissed before trying to run off . Sunny however, was faster on the draw, Louise could hear, painfully, her rifle going off and scoring a hit on the creatures center, right between it's for arms. it was likely dead before it hit the ground, skidding slightly and leaving a small blood trail from it's bullet hole.

It was over so quick, Louise was still trying to fully process the event.

"Louise, you can lower your gun." Luke said.

She blinked, her senses returning to her, and she looked down to see she was still pointing her gun in the general direction of the slain animal. Her hands trembled, only letting up slightly, as she lowered it and stood up.

After that display, she found it hard to look either of the adults in the eyes. The stinging humiliation went deep.

"I'm sorry. I… I just choked."

"Well, I hate to say it Louise but out here, that _will_ get you killed. And your partners." Sunny said, giving her a scolding look.

She flinched, but didn't say anything. She knew she deserved to be reprimanded for this. Founder above, was that a pitiful display.

"Well, that's why we're out here isn't it? Get you some true experience. I know you can do better Louise."

With one final look, Sunny turned to inspect the fresh kill, red blood pooling a little around it. Louise followed behind her, her eyes locked on the dead gecko. As she got closer, she could see where Sunny's bullet had impacted and torn right through the things insides.

"Well, we ain't going home empty handed at least. How may gecko's were you fixing on on bagging Sunny?"

"I'd say about, five. Ten if we're feeling a bit greedy. And I'm hoping Louise can be the one to bag some."

"Alright." He said nodding before turning to Louise."Gotta say though, in the wastes, even kids younger than you have better aim than that. When I was fourteen, I could shoot the antennas off ants from thirty feet away. Where exactly did you grow up where that wasn't an issue?"

She thanked the Founder that Harvey had come along when he did. Her explanation to him already laid the groundwork for a believable... well half truth really.

"Well, if you must know, I came from a Vault. That's why I need Radaway. I'm not used to the radiation on the outside." She explained.

"Wait, If you cam from a Vault, where's your jumpsuit? Thought all Vault Dwellers had them." He asked.

"And you didn't have a Pip Boy when I first saw you. Where was that? " Sunny added.

"It was a sudden thing alright? One minute it was a normal day, and the next thing I know, I have to wander through the desert for two days before arriving here. I didn't have a chance to prepare properly, It was just… I have no idea what truly why it happened, or even what happened. But It was bad, and I didn't have a chance to grab my Pip Boy before I had to leave alright?"

Luke and Sunny, both stared at her, appraising her story. She felt a tinge of guilt of not telling the the whole truth, but logic told her how that would go.

"Hm. Did you leave any family behind?" Luke asked finally.

"Yes. My parents, and two older sisters. I have no idea how idea how they're taking this, but my middle sister, Cattleya, was always sickly. I'm worried this whole situation is causing her far more stress than is healthy." She said closing her eyes briefly.

"As for the jumpsuit, this was part of my Vaults customs. Some of us had higher, shall we say, status, among the others. My hair color, actually, was the deciding factor in that." It was a half truth. Colored hair was almost always a sign of nobility.

"No shit? You know, I once hear stories about some Vault explorers where they came across a Vault, where they wanted to see if one half had to put up with no clothes for their entire lives and how that effect relations between two groups of people."

"… what." Was all Louise could muster at that information hitting her ears. Even Sunny looked perturbed.

Luke chuckled. "I know right? There always seemed to be weird and crazy stuff going on inside those things."

"Well…" She was about to try and come up with something to say to that, when suddenly gunshots rang out, causing both adults to react with a speed she could only marvel at.

"Down!" Sunny yelled, quickly taking cover behind the water basin, as did Luke. Louise, once again showing her lack of battle experience, was slower on the draw, double taking on the source of the noise, before half joining, and half being pulled down by Luke. She felt herself skid into Luke, barely keeping her gun in her grasp.

Oh Founder, she knew something like this was bound to happen! The moment she decided to go outside, _something_ had to happen!

"Where are they shooting from?" Sunny barked out.

Luke peered over the top of the basin, Louise terrified that at any moment, there would be nothing left but a fine red mist."…I don't think that lead is meant for us." Luke said. The initial panic for cover had worn off and they all realized that it didn't sound close. Well, close enough to be aimed for them. Realizing that, Sunny poked her head around the corner. Louise still remained frozen where she was.

"…lp. So…on hel…" Just barely were those words carried to the group. Much more prominent was the hissing and croaking of geckos as they charged whoever it was.

"Ah hell! Somebody's getting swarmed!" Sunny exclaimed rapidly getting to her feet, pointing in the direction.

Luke was on his feet in seconds as well, leaving Louise to bring up the rear, eyes still wide and gun shaking in her grasp. The sun wasn't doing her any favors as she tried to pinpoint exactly where the person they located was. All she had to go on was their word.

"Shit. Whoever they are, I think they're heading right for that coyote den. One against a whole pack? They won't last a minute."

"No shit they won't. Come on! And you better keep up Louise, this is the real deal!" Sunny barked out before taking off towards the person in need.

Luke was right behind her, and once again being slow on the draw was the order of the day as Louise took two seconds for her brain to catch up and she as well began running after them, a new wave of terror encompassing her.

...

* * *

Another shot rang off as their group approached the source of the commotion, Sunny and Luke looking more clam than Louise was. This was supposed to be a simple hunting trip! Not this!

Another scream came from the behind the rocks they approached, nearly drowned out by the number of croaks and hissing coming not ten feet away from them. The rocks in the area not blocking out the sound much at all.

"Alright, Luke, you and me got the front. Louise, make sure no stragglers sneak up on us, got it?"

Louise gulped, raising her gun regardless of her fear.

"If there's ever a time to come through, now's that time." Sunny said, before rounding the rocks and began firing off shots into the group of ravenous bipedal lizards.

She kept her gun raised, her eyes rapidly moving between the gaps in the rocks that would surely hold another one of these beasts soon. And if she missed this time… no! She couldn't think like that

The firing of guns, and some vicious barking and growling from Cheyenne, went on behind her for what felt like an entire hour, even though she knew it had only been around one minute.

It went on a bit longer… and then stopped. She did glance back occasionally, but for the most part kept her eyes on the gaps.

Finally, she heard Sunny talk.

"I think that's all of them. Now where's our… ah dammit…" The defeat already evident in her voice.

"Dead. Throat's been tore out." She said.

"I don't think it was the first piece though…" Luke said, the level of disgust in his voice providing nauseating thought to manifest in Louise's mind. She dared not glance at the body just yet, for if she did, she wasn't sure if she could make it through this. She just tried to concentrate on keeping them safe... ish.

"Fuck…" The blond haired hunter sighed. She sounded like she was about to say something more, when another call for help rang out. All of them turned towards the source, which seemed to echo. It was from a cave. They all ran towards the opening int he ground, Louise making Founder incarnate effort to ignore the crumpled body behind the rocks and the smell of blood reeking all around her from the death. And not to trip over the bodies of the geckos.

"Shit! There was two of them? Luke, with me. Louise, Keep Cheyenne with you. I don't want her getting shot in the tight quarters. Keep an eye out, and make sure we don't get boxed in alright? I'd let you in, but…"

"No. I get it." She said. In this chaotic environment, the idea of Louise hitting a single target was laughable. Less funny was the idea of her shooting the person they were trying to save. Or Sunny and Luke. Her embarrassing miss earlier this day was all the proof she needed that, in that chaos inside, she would likely only cause more harm than good.

Sunny nodded in gratitude before heading inside the cave with Luke not far behind.

Louise kept her gun at the ready, silently praying that no creature would intrude. Gunfire, and occasional shouts echoing from inside the cave, rebounding to her ears. Even outside, the thunderous noise caused her some pain. She kept her attention at the task at hand, praying that nothing would happen.

Once again, she was forced to question if Brimir had it out for her.

Cheyenne started growling, the dogs lips curling back in a threatening snarl. Not two seconds later, a gecko climbed up a rock right in front of her, standing on its hind legs as it hissed at her. A croak heralded the arrival of another gecko to her left, and a third peered it's head around the rocks the first one was standing on to the right, it's red eyes standing out in the shade right at her.

Cheyenne let out some warning barks and more snarls and Louise was barely keeping her gun steady. Other than staring at one another, neither group made a move for a while, the geckos seemingly regarding the quadruped more of a threat

The one to her left charged her. Teeth gleaming in the sunlight as it's head fins standing on end adding to the overall monstrous look of the thing.

Louise screamed. She screamed so loud she was sure the thing stumbled purely because of the mirror shattering pitch she had reached. Or it could have been her aiming too high, missing the things center completely, but thankfully, she did land a hit in it's left eye. It let out a pained noise, it's eyeball exploding in a shower of gore and the bullet coming out the other side, though it still wasn't dead as it appeared to tumble to the ground and flopped in agony.

She didn't wait too much longer before pulling the trigger, again, again, and again until the gun clicked. In her panic, it took about five more attempted shots to realize she had run out.

She stared at the now now dead creature, multiple bullet holes riddling it's still twitching body, red blood pooling into the dry desert sand.

A bark from her right made her swivel her head around to see that the remaining two had opted to take on Cheyenne at the same time. The dog however was surprisingly agile, able to dodge their swipes and bites with ease, even ducking between their legs once and tearing a chunk out of the gecko's tail, Still, two against one, she knew it couldn't last long.

Realizing she needed to act, as quick as her fear addled hands would allow, she emptied the magazine, reached into her ammo pouch and grabbed another magazine and loaded it into the gun.

Or tried to. Once again, she found herself putting it in the wrong way at first, cursing loudly at the wasted seconds as she corrected it. As she slid it in, she heard Cheyenne let out a yelp of pain, looking as quick as she could, she could see the gecko rake it's claws along the dog's side, drawing blood and sending the canine to the ground, the two geckos getting ready to pounce.

She was sure she let out another vulgar word along with the bullets. The bullets were more effective though, one catching a gecko in the back of its head, downing it, and hitting the other one in it's gut, the rest of her shots going wild and soon she was empty again. Thankfully, Cheyenne had recovered, and soon enough she was the one standing atop the gut wounded gecko before sinking her teeth into it's throat, with vicious and rapid thrashes, she tore away a sizable chunk of flesh. Blood began gushing from the large wound, the creature now thrashing's began weakening, until it's arms fell on the ground, limp as the rest of it.

Her ears may have been painfully ringing, but the silence following the battle was overpowering it tenfold. She still had her empty gun raised towards the dead duo of gecko's when a voice rang out.

"Louise! You all right up there!?" Sunny called from the cave.

"Yes." She said softly.

"…Louise!?"

She blinked, realizing her error. "Yes!" She yelled, finally lowering her gun.

"We're all clear down here but… we got something we need to take care of. It won't take long."

Louise didn't know what that meant. She waited for some clarification. Which she got in a single gunshot going off. Her stomach dropped, the realization.

She stood there in silent horror when Luke emerged from the cave, squinting in the sunlight. As his eyes fell on Louise, he confirmed what she had feared.

"His guts had been torn out. No way we were gonna be able to haul him back to Mitchell with him living." Luke said shaking his head in regret. Then, he began scanning the remains of Louise and Cheyenne's battle with the geckos.

"Looks like Cheyenne took a hit. Still, at least you managed to kill something this time. But how many bullets did you use?" He asked, noting her empty magazine at her feet.

Before she could answer, Sunny emerged from the cave, carrying what looked like a green bag of some sort.

She exhaled eeply, the regret obvious. "Well…oh shit!" Her eyes landed on Cheyenne.

She jogged over to Cheyenne, dropped the bag beside her as worriedly inspected her canine companion.

"Shit…" She muttered.

"That was my fault. I… I messed up loading the gun and one of them was able to swipe at her." Louise explained, the feeling of guilt mounting as the dog whimpered as Sunny examined the wounds.

The stares they set upon her were akin to being stared down by her teachers when she messed something up.

Sunny remained quite for just a few moments longer before she spoke."… well, at least you killed them this time. And don't worry, these look like mostly flesh wounds. A little bit of healing powder and some rest, and she'll be good as new. Cheyenne isn't delicate." Sunny explained as she reached into one of her pockets. She seemed to have a tiny sack full of, well healing powder, as she applied it to the dog.

The unspoken reprimand hung in the air much like the increasing stench of the blood in the heat. After a short time, with the powder applied, Sunny turned to face Louise, taking in her two kills, as well as he discarded magazine on the ground.

"Well... for your first time using a gun you did all right, but I think you're gonna need some more time." Sunny said." "Look, Louise, while you handled yourself well enough, when the security of the town is at sake, I don't think an easily panicked girl with a gun is gonna be on anyone's wish list. It's gonna take more time."

The words, though stinging her pride, were nevertheless true."You're right. This display was shameful. I'm not going to put people in danger for the sake of pride.

"Good. Put some the same effort as you did in learning to shoot and you'll get there." Sunny nodded reassuringly.

"Now though, the tedious work begins. We gotta get to work getting these geckos hauled into town before coyotes come scavenging our kills." Sunny said, looking upon the amount of dead lizards, the numerous back and forth trips daunting already before they had even started.

Louise nodded silently, her first encounter using guns having gone poorer than even she was expecting. But then, it would take more than slightly skilled at shooting stationary targets to impress the people here, and this world had been forgiving in that teaching that lesson if she was being honest so she couldn't complain too much.

She hadn't been injured at least, and Sunny didn't sound too worried about Cheyenne so she was confident she would survive. She had gotten her first kills with a gun. But it was clear there was a massive skill gap between them. Luke was right, she didn't have the childhood experience of any of those things he described and it showed. Her nerves got the better of her so many times it was shameful. And Cheyenne reminded her of the consequences of that happening. And it might not end so well next time.

Founder damn this... If it wasn't for House knowing about her, she could safely say she would gladly avoid any and all fighting.

But that wasn't the case. There wasn't any other option that was safer or saner without bringing its own problems that equaled her current ones. She made her mind up regarding House. And if she wanted her position here secure, she had to do this. Keep putting. If it was purely vanity and pride purposes, she was sure common sense would take over. There was no need to put herself in danger for the sake of proving herself, or having excitement constantly thrown at her for some perverse gods amusement. But it wasn't.

At the very least, she could count herself lucky she wasn't been dragged into danger for the pure sake of carrying luggage like an imbecile.

Either way though, today had proven how far she still had to go before her current goal of winning the town over was accomplished. Luke at least, was giving her a chance. Despite her obvious failings today, he hadn't been vocally critical of her like Kenny had been. In fact, he seemed to hold her in a bit more regard. She was trying, and that was obvious to him.

Encouraged by that thought, she vowed to do better next time.

...

* * *

 **So, she got lucky in learning some lessons right? Hey, sometimes luck does work out. I hope I did a good job of showing Louise how large the skill gap is between her and just basic wastelanders at least.**

 **Also, forgot to mention it last chapter, but Guest000 has started beta reading this story! So If there's any large discrepancies, be sure to blame him!**


	9. A Clean Face VIII

It had been about half an hour since the hunting trip turned failed rescue mission had come to a close, and the process of hauling the fresh kill back into town, with Sunny and Luke both carrying one gecko over their shoulders. Louise had offered to carry the green bag Sunny had emerged from the cave with, but even that seemed to hold a fair weight for the pink haired teen. And that wasn't even getting into the fact that this had likely came from the people who had just died. Louise wasn't sure how to feel about that. Robbing from the dead. It didn't sit right with her to be honest, every time she looked at the bag in her hands, she felt a tinge of guilt.

Nevertheless, the journey back was uneventful, with Sunny making sure Cheyenne stayed in town to rest, Louise wincing at the reminder of her failure as the dog lay down in its bed, the blonde hunter affectionately scratching it's ears. The wounds didn't look serious sure. But still, it something that could have been avoided if she had only loaded her gun properly. Sunny hand Louise stash the bag in safe to be... well, safe. They would divide the loot when they got back apparently, Sunny wanted to get the kill loaded up before the smell attracted more scavengers.

Luke, having already procured a hand pulled cart, was waiting for them. Quickly walking over, all three began their walk once more.

"So, Louise, first time getting in a scrap?" Luke asked, not even straining with the cart. Then again, it had yet to be filled with the kill of the day.

She knew it wasn't, but she wasn't sure how she could explain killing those bugs earlier in her state of mind at the moment so she took the easy route.

"Yes. Due to my status not many people would dare try and truly provoke something with me, despite certain… _others_ that would take pleasure in petty mockery." She said, a flash of the tanned Zerbst entering her mind.

"Heh. Yeah I know why kinda shitheads you mean. You give em a good sucker punch at least?" He asked smirking.

"Well… no." She said. She never once… well _deliberately_ hurt any of her other classmates.

In fact, that was why Louise has as taunted as she was. During her first year, people were actually willing to socialize with her, slightly irritatingly so. She was after, the daughter of the most powerful family in Tristain. She even had her fair share of boys trying to woo her.

But then… she hurt someone. Very badly. Louise still shuddered when she thought about it. The gushing head wound gave her nightmares for weeks afterword. She survived, and there was no lasting damaging thankfully, but the girl had held a grudge about it. She started spreading rumors about her that she didn't do anything about it because her mother would likely appeal to the crown.

Which was complete cow dung. Mother would never abuse her position like that. It was an accident, one which she had tried to make up for, but the girl was having none of it.

The damage was done. Only one year in and she was the pariah of the school. And then that damnable Zerbets gave her the Zero nickname…

The look on her face told Luke he may have wandered into a bad conversational spot so he tried coming up with something else to talk about.

"Well, did you have _any_ sort of fighting training? Anything that

"Well… my mother did teach me some swordplay." She replied thoughtfully.

"Really? That's an oddly specific skill set." Sunny said.

Louise shrugged. "I wouldn't even call it a skill. I haven't practiced the art in so long it hardly matters anyway. I doubt I would be good"

Luke shrugged. "Well, maybe you can use the extra money you're going to get, and buy yourself a blade. It's always a good idea to carry some form secondary protection out here."

"Money? I hardly did anything." Louise stated exasperatedly.

"You still helped out. You killed two geckos, so you'll get paid for meat and leather we'll get from those. And we're not gonna cut you out of the loot we found either, sou you'll get a third of it." Luke explained.

"Loot? You mean robbing from the dead?" Louise asked frowning, though she was careful to avoid an accusatory tone. She had reservations about it no doubt, but the logical part f her brain. And she did think back to that box of Sugar Bombs she found. With caps. A sudden pang of guilt passed through her as she realized she may have destroyed someone's home, or at least plundered their stash.

"They're dead Louise. They don't need their stuff anymore. If anyone came across my corpse, they'd do the same thing, and I'd even encourage such a thing. If some extra bullets and a gun means someone else doesn't die so be it." Sunny said, Luke nodding in agreement.

"And if that person is a bandit?" She asked pointedly.

"Then it would be the same shitty luck that got me killed. Just life out here." She said, matter of factually, not bothered in the least.

It was an odd thing to be repulsed, and yet accepting of such a thing in it's entirety as this subject. Logically… she knew there was worse things to do. Sunny and Luke were right about that. They didn't need their belongings anymore, and it was better than stealing from living people. Still… it didn't sit right with her completely. It just felt disrespectful. Then again, thinking back to those Sugar Bombs… and caps... and possible destroyed shelter...

She continued walking in silence, her internal thoughts bothering no one but her.

...

* * *

It was quite the effort getting all the geckos loaded up. Twenty in total had to be tossed on the wagon. Louise had helped as beast as she could, but her lack of physical strength compared to the adults was apparent after her first attempt at lifting, so she took up keeping an eye out for any more scavengers coming along, whether it be coyote or gecko. The smell of so much fresh kill was sure to be carried a fair ways for sure and the hungry nature of the wastes animals meant keeping a watchful eye.

She kept her guard up, her handgun ready to be raised at a moment's notice as Sunny and Luke Loaded up the last of their kill, the last one being the first gecko all the way over by the water basin. Louise glancing back slightly as they spoke.

"Gah, this is gonna be a bitch to move… and you realize we're gonna have to devote some manpower to keep the critters out with all this kill hanging about right? Not to mention the time it's gonna take to clean them." Luke asked, wiping his forehead free of sweat.

"Yeah. Day's still fairly young though. If we move fast enough, we should at the very least get most of these cleaned and ready for sale and eating. Now… for the other bodies…" Sunny said trailing off, the unpleasantness hanging in the air.

"Yeah… come on, let's get it over with." He said, though it was more a resigned tone than a downcast one.

They walked off leaving the pinkette alone for a short time before returning with the first body, Sunny holing his legs, Luke grabbing him by the arms, the adults approaching the cart

She wanted to look away, in fact she felt her head instinctively turn away from the sight she was about to see. And yet, she forced herself to look. She couldn't run from this forever.

She could see where his throat had been torn out obviously, the wound having stopped bleeding some time ago. The dried blood streams from his mouth and nose causing her stomach to go for a loop, and she felt bile rise slightly in her throat. But the worst part was the eyes. They looked so terrified, pained. And he had been so close… to have this happen in less than a minute away from help was a stark reminder to Louise of the unforgiving nature of this land. It may not have been her first time seeing a body, but that last time had been quick and muddled, more focused on the people with guns. Now? She see was absorbing it in much greater detail, no longer just quick flashes of gore, but a long detailed portrait in her mind. And those eyes...

"Hey Sunny look. I think our friend here had a run in with those Gangers." Luke said, pointing to a spot on the man's stomach. Having her fill of the man's face, she quickly averted her from the hanting visage of pain and fear of the man's face, to gaze to where Luke pointed.

Indeed, she could see a wound differing from the ravenous tearing and clawing of the creatures. It looked like a single wound all by itself, a single round hole. Having been firing a gun for the past four days, she knew what that was.

Sunny growled. "Damn. The things smelt the blood. Fucking Gangers. Sure wish the NCR would wipe their own asses one of these days…" She said shaking her head.

Louise said nothing as they went back to retrieve the man's presumed partner. She waited, the sun finally being noticed by her long after it was back to doing it's damage to her again. After a little bit of time had passed, they returned, talking about something.

"God, never thought I'd feel sorry for coyotes, but seeing their pups with their heads chewed off like that…" Sunny said, she and Luke having the other body in their grasp as the approached,

"Gecko's will eat anything they can." She said, her face scrunched like she was smelling something unpleasant.

The second body had a much larger area of red on it, the gaping hole offering an unpleasant sight into the inner workings of the man in question, some of which hanged by his sides. She felt bile briefly rise in her throat as they neared and set the corpse down.

"Geez, never gonna underestimate the bastards again." Luke said, taking off his hat and waving it back and forth in a futile attempt to push the smell away.

"Alright… now for the last one." Sunny said, looking back at the cave.

Louise raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I though there was only two."

"There was, but there's actually another body down there, one we didn't see before, tucked away in the corner. I don't think he was with them though."

"Wasn't it eaten? I would thought scavengers would have gotten to it long before we did." The pink haired girl asked.

"Nope. And you'll see why when we bring it out." Was all she said before turning and heading towards the cave with Luke in tow.

Louise stood there puzzled. What in Founders name did that mean? She couldn't think of a reason they would forgoe a good meal like that.

Well, she got one when they returned. The last body was dressed differently at first glance. It was wearing a set of clothing actually more familiar to her: A set of robes. Granted they held the same patchwork as all the other clothes here, but still. The pair moved closer, Sunny looking at her as she spoke.

"Louise, here is what a ghoul looks like."

She looked at them nervously, that word holding more than a few negative connotation for her. "Ghoul? What are you- gah!" She yelped as they set down the body, and frankly Louise wished the scavengers _did_ decide to eat the corpse, despite seeing clear as day why they wouldn't.

It's face looked like it was _peeling_ off! It's skin was rotten all over, burn like wounds covering all flesh visible, even on its hands! It's hair was in matted and thin stringy clumps, just barely withstanding the slight breeze it seemed like. It's neck looked like it had a serious looking bite mark, but other than that, it was relatively intact. Relatively, being a thousand suns relative in her mind. That _face._

"W-what in Founder's name is this!?" She demanded, stepping back and almost raising her gun to point at the foul looking thing.

"A ghoul. A person who's absorbed enough radiation to die ten times over, but instead of dying, this is what happened to them. " She explained.

Radee ashon!? That Founder damn poison did this?! No, not poison, this sounded more like some sort of foul energy in the air. No mere poison should be able to do this, this sounded like forbidden magic!

She looked at Sunny, a feeling of panic starting to set in. "Wait, you said radiee ashon… am I going to turn into one of those things?"

"They're not things Louise they're people." Sunny scolded, giving the pink haired girl a bit of a glare. She flinched and shrunk into herself slightly, and combined with her fearful face made the blonde flinch in apology.

"Sorry, I forgot this is new to you. They're people Louise. People. I know they don't look the greatest, but I can tell you first hand they're just as capable of showing the generosity we've shown you. So if you see one, treat them like you would like any other person and they'll treat you the same. Got it?"

She said nothing, instead turning to face the… person, founder it was difficult to imagine the face as such. She read tales of undead monsters in her spare time, how heros struck them down, the evil necromancers perverting the water magic of the Founder, twisting it into something horrid. All of those childhood stories, and sometimes nightmares, were staring her right in the face. And she stared back.

"And no, as long as you keep up on your medicine, this won't happen to you. You'd have to have at least a over a thousand rads in you for that to happen." Sunny said.

"Well remember, she's from a Vault and more vulnerable so…" Luke said, wisely shutting up when he saw the glare Sunny was giving him, one to freeze fevers.

He cleared his throat."Yeah. You'll be fine. Just keep taking that medicine. But, where did this guy come from? This was a coyote den before the geckos took it over, neither were exactly friendly to people." He said, his attempt at dodging working due to the validity of the question.

"Don't know. And I don't know how long he's been there either. But we did get some extra caps outta it at least." Sunny said, patting the boxy looking rifle slung over he shoulders.

'We could probably split the caps between us for that." Luke said.

"We'll discuss that when we get back. Come one, let's move." Sunny said.

Louise hadn't taken her eyes of the ghoul during the entire time they were talking.

...

* * *

The trip back was slower due to all of the extra weight they had accumulated. The gecko's ready to be cleaned, and the bodies needing to be buried. Sunny had said they could put them in the graveyard atop the hill overlooking the town. Sunny and Luke pulled up to her house though. Much like the other buildins, it bore signs of disuse and disrepair, but again, nothing too bad. There was some what looked like stuffed heads on the wall, one of which was a creature she had yet to see. It was pink, had to large teeth on the top part of it's mouth. I tlooked rodent like, which just made her shiver. She always was reminded there was a lot of stuff out there that she hadn't seen yet.

Bit sightseeing the home was not why they were here. The blonde hunter wanted to settle the matter on the loot. She just wanted to get it out of the way.

Following the two adults, Louise stood off to the side as Sunny had the bag in her hands as they gathered by the small table next to a ruined looking couch in the center part of the home.

'Alright, here's what we're working with." She said as she went through the process of laying out the wares.

She took in all of the possessions on the table. She recognized two 9mm handguns along with five magazines of ammo, but the boxy metallic pistol, or she guessed as such, along with small metallic objects next to it were the only weapons. There was five stimpacks, three bottles of water, one looking like it had already been drank out of. Lastly, there was what looked like an expertly crafted bottle with a dark drink inside. The writing on the outside read 'Nuka Cola'. Huh. She had only seen Sunset Saspiralla in Trudy's bar, but not Nuka Cola.

No Radaway though. Darn. Couldn't be that lucky could she?

"Alright, rock paper scissors on who gets first dibs." Sunny said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sunny and Luke held out their hands

"Wait, what are you doing?" She asked

"…You never heard of Rock Paper, Scissors?" Luke asked, an incredulous look in his eyes.

"N-no. I have not." She said, ,not bothering to lie. No matter if she hated looking like a fool.

"Well, the rules are simple. This is rock, paper and scissors." He explained, making a series of gestures, explaining each one as he did.

"Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper. Whoever has one that beats the other wins and they get first pick of the loot. Simple enough?"

It… was actually. It was a bit strange, but she understood it at lease, quickly going through the gestures before they started, mentally restating their name and purpose.

Getting herself ready, she took a small breath before going the motions of this game, before finally picking one to settle on.

She had scissors, as did Luke, and Sunny had paper.

"Damn." The blonde said, stepped back slightly.

They did the same thing, but this time she went paper, and Luke had rock.

"Well played Louise." He said, stepping out of the way, gesturing to the loot.

Really? That really was it? She looked to Sunny who nodded for her to go ahead.

She turned back to the table, her eyes looking over the assorted wares.

What should she pick? The guns were her first option More specifically the odd looking pistol. She already had a conventional fire arm. More importantly was the possibility of selling it for caps.

"What kind of gun is that?" The petite girl asked.

"Laser pistol. Shoots off a beam of light. Useful for burning through armor." Sunny explained.

She nodded, turning back. The bottles of water didn't really catch her eye, nor did the Nuka Cola. She already had accesses to drinks. The stimpacks though, that did cause her some thought. She hadn't even noticed the bandage had fallen off her though wound some time ago, leaving a faint scar in the process, the unknown medicine inside having worked just as well as water magic, if not better. It might be worth having those on hand if she was to be subjecting herself to more hunting trips, if Cheyenne was anything to go by. She was already going to be sinking quite a lot of money into one type of medicine already.

She scooped up the five stimpacks, quickly depositing them into her pouch. Even as she did, she still felt her gaze be drawn towards the laser pistol.

…Oh Founder damn it. If she could learn to use it good, if not, she'd sell it. With that thought she grabbed the last of the small object, which she presumed to be it's ammunition somehow and stuffing them in her pouch as well.

"Really? Thought you would have went for that ammo. You already owe me quite a bit of caps for all the ammo for practicing." Sunny said smirking.

Louise bit her lip. She knew Sunny wasn't being too serious about it. She knew Louise had no intention of leaving town. Still, she couldn't help but think if she had been any less nice a place how much that would terrify her.

"Energy weapons work a bit differently than conventional firearms Louise. That might mean having to do start over again with training with that thing. You sure you want it? Or are you just planning on selling it?" Her mentor asked.

"Selling it most likely. Who knows, maybe I'll try and learn to shoot it. _Maybe."_ Louise said. Honestly, she would rather get Radaway. She could work out her plan in full later, but for now, she felt content in her choice.

The blonde hunter nodded. "Alright then."

...

* * *

Sunny and Luke got their own share of the loot, surprisingly Luke only really wanting the bottle of Nuka Cola. He let Sunny have the rest of it. Regardless, everyone left with what they wanted. Though she did note that she would have to buy another holster for the thing as it weighed a bit more than she would have liked. It wasn't too bad but still annoying.

Sunny had loaded the three human, well two human and one ghoul, corpses onto a different wagon and decided to quick get the processes of burying them out of the way. Louise didn't go with her. She had her fill of death for the day. She watched as Sunny walked off towards the graveyard, it not being too far from town to warrant any more people coming along. She had already gotten some looks from the towns folk when she came back. There was look of surprise at the large haul, and seeing the her having helped in it. It didn't last long, the sight just a momentary distraction, but she did notice how their gazes lingered on her a bit longer than the others.

She also laid eyes on Victor, that metal menace's face looking at her. The body itself was rigid, but then it turned and wandered off, where she didn't know, it being out of sight the more important thing to her.

She sat in a chair in the shade on the porch of Sunny's house, Luke did too, the bottle sitting next to him as he looked at her.

"So... if this really was your time using a gun to kill something… I'd say you did alright. Got some work to do improving, but i you keep on it. you'll get there."

"Yes. I never thought my life would involve shooting oversized salamanders." She snarked.

"Heh. Just like I can't imagine living a life underground completely safe. You Know, when I was eight years old, I could just shoot the antennas off of giant ants as they came skittering towards me."

"Eight years old?" She asked incredulously.

"Well, that's when I started. I'd say more about ten. Just aim down the sight and pow! Always made me laugh when those stupid things went crazy and started tearing up their friends." He said, laughing at his own memories.

She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Not just because she hadn't had the pleasure of meeting giant ants yet, but because of the ease he reveled in the violence. granted, they _were_ giant bugs, she could understand it to an extent.

He had been able to fight off ants at age ten and she had struggled with gecko's at sixteen. She bristled at the thought.

"But anyway, I'm getting off topic. I also wanted to say something." He said, interrupting her thoughts, and causing her to perk up seeing his more serious demeanor.

"I'm not gonna lie. I really didn't think you'd leave the safety of the town. But you proved me wrong. You proved you were willing to put yourself at risk for the rest of us. I just wanted to say, I respect that."

She felt humbled by his words, she truly did.

"I-I thank you." She said sincerely.

"Course, I'm gonna let you know right now, Kenny probably ain't gonna come around so easily." Luke said.

And in a flash, the good feelings were gone, replaced with feelings of annoyance.

Luke, seeing the oncoming headache the name was giving her, was quick to act.

"Look, Louise, I know how you feel about him, and you have the right to. I admit, he hasn't exactly been the most sociable to ya. But Kenny… he's just been through a lot alright?" Luke said, sighing.

"Really? Like what?" She asked.

"It's not my place to say. But he has. I mean, everyone has in this world, don't get me wrong, but Kenny got it a bit worse than most. That's all I can say."

"Yes. Accusing me of putting the town in danger when I haven't done anything yet." She snorted.

"…is he entirely wrong though? He did make some good points about the NCR. The Lost isn't that big of a threat, but Lorcan was an associate of town. And the NCR has a reputation for pushing towns around if they feel like it. If they saw your tracks heading in this direction, they could very well spin that as an excuse. Even if you try to explain the situation, they've been known to annex and police towns for far less Louise. Or wipe them out. Now, can you understand why maybe Kenny might have reservations about taking you in?"

She clenched her fists, anger almost making her tongue let loose a series of insults. She clenched her fists and bite her tongue. Reason held the edge it needed to win out. Kenny was right about her, he always was, she knew that before this conversation. It hurt her pride just as much as the word 'Zero' did. But losing her temper to a man who had shown her considerably more courtesy than that other did was not the way to go. He was right. And that was without revealing to them that House had an interest in her too. She really had no place to argue did she?She grit her teeth, her fists clenched and her eyes still having embers of anger."Yes."

"Now, I'm not saying that's what they WILL do. But they can be pushy when they want to be. It varies really. Kenny's just trying to look out for the town. That's kinda what he does really. He looks out for people. Like he did for me when I first got here." He explained.

"Wait… _he_ helped you?" Louise asked, her expression taking on surprise.

He nodded. "Yep. It was, oh three years back. I had a run in with some bad sorts, got robbed and took a shot to my leg and had my arm broken. I hobbled into town, starving and with only the clothes on my back. And Kenny paid for the medical supplies to patch me up. He pretty much took me under wing, I used my own farming and ranching experience to help him out, pay off the debt. But I stayed. Decided to call the town my home."

"No accusations of putting the town in danger?" She questioned petulantly.

"I didn't even manage to bruise the attackers. They jumped me pretty good so there wasn't any worry about them coming back for revenge. Unlike you, which has a potential army come after us. And if you're gonna volunteer for the night watch eventually, you should know that Kenny is the most frequent one who does so. He's pulled more extra shifts than anyone else in town." He explained.

Louise let out a long suffering sigh. So there was a good chance of being with him during the watch. Wonderful. As if this didn't need more difficulties. She put her head in her hands and let out a long sigh in frustration.

"Yeah. It's gonna be awkward." He continued. "But listen. I'll tell people, including Kenny, your story. I think once they understand your situation, they'll be more willing to listen to you at least. Vault Dwellers aren't known for being the more hardcore of survivors out there." He stated though as he felt a sudden sensation that he just insulted something that ought not to be insulted.

He shook it off."And Like I said, I respect for pulling your weight. May not have been much, but it shows you're proactive at least. That's good. And I don't think the all the meat we brought back will hurt people's opinions of you either. I might tweak your kill count slightly though." He said smiling her way.

Louise shook her head.

"No, don't. I do not want my name to be marred with false deeds."

His smile, though not changing physically, seemed to grow nonetheless. And his eyes looking more approving as well. "Like I said, just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll get there."He said reassuringly.

Louise felt her cheeks heat up for the briefest of seconds.

...

* * *

 **So we see Louise finally start to earn some victories! Yay! But don't worry, shell have to deal with more problems next chapter. Gotta keep her on her toes after all.**


	10. A Clean Face IX

Louise closed the door to Mitchell's house as she entered, kicking off her boots and setting them by the door as she did. She hadn't bothered to get back her school shoes since she got the more sturdy boots. Those things were already wore out from just two days of walking the wasteland and were useless to her now. She had maybe a few thoughts of selling the, much to her chagrin for seriously considering it. Maybe. She didn't really have any other use for walked through the house, rounding a few corners until she was in the dining room, Mitchell having a book in hand and some nearly finished meat and some vegetable remains on a plate, looked at her as she wandered inside.

"Ah afternoon Louise. Heard you finally got the chance to test out your gun slinging skills on some geckos. How did it go?"

She sat down, setting her laser pistol on the table, her body now going through the pains of her exertion earlier that day. She groaned slightly before talking.

"Well, I was able to kill two at least. But I didn't do much other than missing most of my shot, cowering, and letting Cheyenne take a hit form a botched reloading." Louise listed off, the hunting trip's physical cost starting to make itself known as Louise felt a wave of exhaustion crash over her. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because her legs at the moment would not be able to support her standing weight as the exhaustion hit her in full.

"Mmm. More used to throwing around magic?" He said.

"Not really. Like I said, I wasn't able to perform any spell right." She said.

The old man nodded. "Well regardless, I already some people talking about you. Sounds like more than a few didn't really believe you'd do it. You really made an impression on people."

"I didn't even kill that many. And I was so terrible." She said, grimacing once again at her poor performance earlier this day.

"Maybe. But out here in the wastes people generally aren't fond of others who can't pull their weight. You doing this proves you can do that at least. Just need some more practice sounds like. Trust me, I was a rather poor shot when I first started life out here as well. I can still shoot anything, or anyone, that tries something at least. Out here, that's something that's considered mandatory. You're getting there." He assured her.

She shrugged, her mood souring slightly at the news she was about to deliver. "Maybe. We also ran across two people while we were out. They were being swarmed by geckos ad we tried to help, but… we were too slow." Louis explained, trailing off into thought. Images, though brief, of the corpses flashed in her mind. She shook her head."We also found one other body out there. A ghoul. Wearing what looked like robes of some sort. Hard to believe all of that happened on just a short walk out of town." She said.

"Well, crazy stuff is known to happen out there in the wastes. Never know what you might run into of you wander in the right direction long enough. Though gecko's ain't that big of a threat. Not these kinds anyway. How in the heck did they die to them?" He asked.

"One of them was shot, likely by those Powder Gangers, and then the smell of blood led them to be swarmed." She explained.

He sighed. "Ah. Still causing trouble out there are they? Sure hope the people of Primm have been holding on."

"I haven't heard anything of much about that changing… except that traders said they thought they saw someone sneaking inside the perimeter wall. And they weren't wearing a Powder Ganger uniform." She said, remembering overhead conversations in the town saloon from a few travelers.

"Hm. Wonder if that might be our courier. He did say he was heading there, back to the headquarters of the Mojave Express." Mitchell mused, and Louise considered it as well. It did make sense, but was the man really attempting to take on a town of convicts? Was he really that crazy?

"He seems like a capable sort, but all the same, I wish him luck." The older man said.

Louise however just shook her head. "If he manages to clear out that town by himself, I will officially declare the NCR useless. Everything I have heard about them is about how incompetent they are. This town nearly sacked, Primm taken over, roads becoming unsafe, the first two problems caused by them in the first place…" She trailed off in frustration. It really bothered her. Even more sore the system of governance they used.

She had asked around for that system of government they used, a 'republic'. A system in which the people themselves, rich and poor alike, choose who leads them. The concept was just so… bizarre to her. True, they had no magic to truly decide who was most qualified, but there had to be a better way than just picking someone at random. Supposedly, it was to help people, commoners, more of a say in politics, to ensure a more cohesive form of government.

And frankly, she was not impressed by it if this what the NCR had to show for it. So many idiotic moves in just one area… if this were her world's government, those in charge would have been disgraced and replaced faster than one would run from the Heavy Wind on a bad day. And yet, the idiocy continued, people suffered for it, and if people in the Republic truly had a say, why hadn't they done something about it? Maybe they had no idea how bad it was here, or was there some sort of cover-up? Either one didn't really bode well. Even Tristain she knew was capable of being up to date on matters such as these.

Mitchell nodded in agreement. "Yeah. They have plenty of good people and intentions, but when you get right down to it, it just ain't gonna be enough to win people over if these situations are the result. But enough about that. How's your health been? Any breathing issues, skin irritation, and pain in your midsection from your bladder or stomach?" Mitchell asked, the list of maladies making her squirm slightly.

"None so far, thankfully. I've been keeping an eye on it with my Pip Boy… but it's just a matter of time right?" She knew the answer by now. Yes. There would be complications for her health, more so than she was already experiencing. She was always reminded as such when her stomach rumbled or she went to the bathroom with a working, and rather marvelous contraption known as a toilet. Seeing her waste in a consistent unhealthy dark reddish orange reminded her just how dirty this world was to her. She had gotten few stomach cramps after eating sometimes, but she always powered through it so she could still work. A good thing Mitchell had her only two small meals a day for her body to adjust. Even if she did go hungry more than once, but really, occasional lightheaded feeling beat out painful stomach cramps in her book.

"Fraid so. It'll be about another week before you can start eating bigger meals, so there's that. You know what you have to do to keep your teeth healthy?" he asked.

She nodded. Really, without a weekly dose of magical water from the healers, or any really, was not something she was looking forward to. Thankfully, she had just gotten another dose of it before the ritual se she was good for three more days.

And the one less day for a week was more annoying than it should be to her, all these names like 'Tuesday' or 'Friday', just who came up with that!? Regardless, the process that she would need to do when it wore off was simple, if annoying. Chew some simple plants, swash around some alcohol, and floss her teeth with some fine string.

"Good. Nothing much to do now but just take it one day at a time like usual then it seems." The doctor said.

Louise could only nod in agreement.

* * *

Working in the Saloon after the hunting trip was far more difficult than it had been the past few days. Her body felt like it weighed as much as a slab of stone, and her sunburns had started acting up again due to her time outside. And to top it all off, she was sure Mitchell had merely been polite when he had not commented on her increasingly atrocious body odor. She could _feel_ the stink lines coming off of her, not even the patrons in the bar, as tough as they looked, could resist scrunching their noses when she got close.

She felt blood rush to her cheeks every time. She was told that baths were an option here, but she had neglected it opting to focus on her gun training and job. It wasn't the first time that happened actually. She could get rather determined to study as much as possible after all, sometimes even forgetting to eat as well. Walking to the bathhouse just took so much _time._ Time better spent studying. She missed that more than she realized actually. Just some peaceful time to herself, going over magical theories, and applications, reading through books on a cool spring night.

Even more surprising was how it made her realized how much she missed Eleanor, of all people.

Eleanor was… difficult sometimes, that much was readily apparent to her. She was bossy, rude, easy to agitate, but… she was the one who stayed up with there the latest, going over every single fine detail of magic, the occasional kick to her shins whenever Louise started getting distracted. But, they did help her learn to pay attention, even is she did get phantom pain during tests sometimes... stupid sister...

She didn't realize she had stood in place for a while, memories overtaking her, until she felt some moisture around her eyes, vigorously wiping them away when she realized what it was.

Gah, she hated this. Sometimes thoughts of home just _hit_ her, and she could feel herself break down.

She was thankful when she heard the door bell sound off and the impact of boots on the wooden floor. Steeling herself, she got off her stool, and rounded the corners, viewing those that came in. And among them, two familiar faces made themselves known, even as all the patrons gave her hair the same look. A familiar green jacket and freckle faced child rounded the corner.

"Hey, Louise." The man greeted, his daughter right beside him waving at her with a big smile on her face.

Louise, surprised at seeing them again, inquired why they were here. "Harvey? Dani? I thought you two were heading to Novac." She said, recalling their last meeting some time ago.

He chuckled, as if something truly astounding had happened."We were, but, I shit you not, the road past Sloan and the quarry beside it has been infested with Deathclaws." He explained, the two of them sitting down at the bar.

Louise paused at the word, the name alone, Deathclaw, gave no small amount of horrid images. She must have given off some sort of look of displeasure as Harvey took it as a que to keep talking.

"Yeah, I know. First Cazadores, and now Deathclaws and all in one general area too… I swear, something wants to make access to the Vegas area as hard as possible. The workers were waiting for the NCR to show up as they radioed it in at least a week ago. The NCR is a no show for them, and no one thought to tell us about the damn things either!" He said, raising his voice in irritation.

 _Oh no, the NCR is being incompetent again? How shocking…_ She thought.

"On the bright side, we managed to haggle with the miners for some stuff. They ain't got much in the way of money with them being out of work, but we managed to work something out."

She nodded. She had to excuse herself briefly, taking the other patrons orders and whatnot. When she was done, Harvey picked up where he left off.

"And to top it all off, there's a good chance that, due to the Powder Ganger's stealing their explosives, that's why the Deathclaws moved in." Harvey explained, a pained, yet amused smile forming. Louise never felt a more flat expression in her life than she did when she heard those words.

So… the NCR indirectly caused another problem, a problem that had the Founder damn word 'Deathclaw' in it, and now won't clean it up? Founder above, those idiots couldn't fight their way out of their own bed sheets it sounded like! Actually no, they would throw their bed sheets on the floor, trip over them time and time again, and not pick it up.

"Yep. So that was our adventure right there. Anything happen with you, If you don;t mind me asking?" He asked, taking a sip of his Sunset Sarsaparilla.

She didn't see why not. They were friendly, and her hunting exploits were hardly personal."Well… I went out of town for the first time since I got here. I went on a hunting trip, managed to kill two geckos."

"Hey, not bad. Dani here managed to kill seven on her first round. Only missed three shots too." He explained, the girl beaming as he did.

Louise did her best not to grimace. Nevertheless she continued.

"We also came across two people who were being swarmed by gecko's. We tried to help, but we weren't fast enough. I think they ran into the Powder Gangers beforehand though, got wounded and attracted them though." She explained, more flashes of the bodies appearing in her eyes.

"No shit? We had to fight off an attack of our own from the Gangers, no one even got hurt thankfully, but still. I'll tell ya, between them and the Axles, the NCR it's no wonder people see nothing but ineffectiveness from the NCR. Heard something... grisly about them."

"Really, you heard more about them?" Louise asked, not really interested in them, but for the sake of keeping the conversation going. She barely remembered them from their first meeting. They seemed like just a footnote, not worthy of remembering.

"Yep, heard this one just as we came into town. Sounds like they raided a family's home and then sick fucks cut off the hands and feet of the, man, wife, two of their kids, kidnapping the last one, and used that plasma turret of theirs to light the house on fire. Burned all of them alive, and then drove off. Didn't even look like they stole anything either from the sound of it, well, other than the kid. Fuck, you expect something like that from tribals, or savages that grew in the wastes, but these are former NCR personal we're talking about here. What the hell could drive them to something like that?" He grunted.

A bit horrified at the graphic tale, she had to agree. The fact that former civilized people could sink to that level disgusted her, but it also confused her. Perhaps becoming ordinary bandits she could understand, but that level of brutality, to their own people no less, she couldn't understand why.

He shook his head. "At least the NCR, is actually trying to do something about them, at least. Dispatched more than a few ranger squads to track them down, and they are keeping to NCR territory thankfully. Still, I don't envy the people living in their range, and people are gonna spread word about word about them and I don;t think that's they need in the Mojave. But enough about depressing news news, anything going on here?"

She didn't mind. "Well, Sunny's trying to get some caps and hire some mercenaries to help clear out the hunter infestation on the north road. You wouldn't happen to know any would you?" Louise asked. Harvey seemed to have a lot of information on him, so he seemed like a good choice to ask. She was sure Sunny would appreciate the help in tracking down some muscle.

"Hm. I've met a few mercs here and there. Tell ya what, I'll tell em about it, maybe even give em some caps to make the amount you guys will have to pay out of your own pocket."

Louise's eyes widened at what Harvey had just said. "Really? I mean, that's great, for us, but that seems like a bit much to sink into helping some town with a bug problem."

He shrugged. "Yeah well… I'd rather not go through Nipton if I can help it. I asked around the Mojave Outpost, and from the sound of it, that place is a hive of scumbags." He explained, his eyes narrowing.

"How so?" She leaned forward, this topic catching her interest more.

"Well for one thing, more than a few disappearances have occurred in that town is what I've been told. Travelers going there sometimes don't come back out, and some even say they seen Vipers lurking around that area."

"Vipers?" The pink haired girl asked. Her first thought was common snakes, but then she realized it was more than likely another gang name. Which was confirmed with his next explanation.

"Another gang, or cult if you believe some of the crazier stories about them. Supposedly, they worshiped snakes for some ungodly reason, and kidnapped people and drugged em with snake venom and chems, made em go all loopy enough to brainwash them. Course, they killed more than they converted through that, but still, they managed to be a terrifying group before the NCR started dropping the hammer on them." He explained.

Wait… did her ears deceive her? The NCR… did something useful? _Congratulations NCR, you've managed to beat snake worshiping crazies, feel proud of yourself._

"Not 100% sure about those. They got pretty hammered along with the Jackals. They were the only other raider group to give us the same amount of trouble, but we got Ole Morrigan the Jackal hunter to thank for giving us the momentum to take them on. I'll have to tell you about him the next time we meet." He said, smiling at the subject of this 'Morrigan.'

"Regardless, the whole town sounds like nothing but trouble. If a little investment means we can bypass it, so be it. I ain't exposing Dani to that crap. I'll ask around, see who's willing. Who has the experience. I'll try and find someone, hopefully one who knows their way around explosions."

"…Explosions?" She asked, the word catching her ear.

"Yeah. From what I understand, Cazadores are fast. _Really fast._ Fast enough that it's hard keeping a bead on them with a regular gun. Grenades would be useful to either shred their wings, or disorientate them. Probably need flamers in case they managed to slip past, along with a couple of shotguns as well. But explosions should be the first thing you should try and hit those things with. Makes clearing them out hell of a lot easier.

Louise said nothing. She continued conversing with them, a small thought in the back of her mind irritating her throughout it.

* * *

"You're joking." Louise said at the girl who had told her stories of life back in NCR territory.

"Nope! I've ridden on one and it so cool! You go so fast, sometimes you even hit some big dumb bug or brahmin. Once, we even hit a Deathclaw and tore off it's arm!" Well... the girl was enthusiastic if a bit morbid. And this was the same one that preferred her hair over a town of convicts?

The main subject was something called 'trains'. Giant transport machines than ran on fixed 'tracks' capable of carrying people over long distances. Something about a steam 'enjin' or whatnot, really, Louise didn't know what it was. She had only ever ridden on airships powered by magical windstones. The idea that simple heated air could propel a massive bulk of metal was just really bizarre to her.

Harvey smiled at her look."She's telling the truth. One thing you can't take away from the NCR is that they actually got infrastructure. Trains, cars, roads, buildings all of it's coming back in their territory. Really, they should build tracks into the Mojave. I bet once people see them rolling on through, they'd start seeing a more positive side of the Republic. I don't think the trucks the NCR uses for troop transport has the same spectacle trains would have." He said. Louise resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that statement.

The concept of such things sounded so odd and foreign to her. Then again, if she were to tell them of flying airships, she would probably get the same reactions. She had to admit, she was honestly curious about them, but alas, they were there and she as here. But that did seem a bit odd to her. If they had better modes of transportation, why walk?

"If they had… cars where you came from, why did not buy any? Surely they must be a more expedient way to travel than walking?"

"Well, they are more restricted nowadays. NCR generally wants any and all functioning cars under their control. Unless your willing to shell out some pretty hefty caps, you ain't getting one. I was actually one of the few who could. I had the thought more than once, but I… ran into some trouble before I could follow through on it. After that, me and Dani couldn't stay and try and get one. So we packed up, and came to the Mojave." He didn't say more than that.

Again with that 'trouble'. She didn't know what it was, but whenever it was brought up, that was when both of their moods seem to falter, Harvey becoming more guarded, and Dani's usually seemingly inassailable brightness darkening. She knew better than to push the issue however.

Harvey cleared his throat. "But anyway, I think it's time we took off. Nice seeing you again Louise. I'll try and send some prospecting mercs your way. Take care now." He said waving goodbye, Dani did as well. She smiled and waved back at the friendly duo, wishing them luck.

* * *

It was about one hour after they left that the Saloon had quilted down. Most of the travelers were back on the road by this time, braving the world outside the town.

Louise was sweeping and cleaning, along with Trudy who had nearly gotten over the debacle with Jodie four days ago. She accepted it was a bizarre situation, and one that confounded her to no end, but she still paid her, treated her with respect and talked to her.

But, there was something between them still, Louise could sense it. She occasionally looked at her funny, gave her glances that wasn't completely friendly either.

And then, that was when Louise thought back to what Jodie had said about her. She had largely put them out of her mind, focusing on more pressing issues, but whenever Trudy looked at her… she felt as though her eyes were watching her as one did someone they didn't fully trust.

And what scared her the most was that… Jodie always turned out to be right. At least, that's what Trudy had said about her. Every single 'thought' she had when she took off her 'medicine', from where they could find spare food, change, who was willing to hurt them, when it was safe to travel and how for how long, from the fast approaching, to the more down the road… every single time she was correct. Every. Time.

And Louise found herself wondering just what that meant for her. Those predictions about her… they would come true then The Chattering Clown, red eyes… the people she cared about…

... was all of that true about her? it was just some mad woman's ramblings... right? Surely it was...

She kept doing her round of chores in the Saloon, the uneasiness and increasingly uneasy thoughts in her mind slowing her considerably. It was starting to turn orange outside before she finished up, putting the broom away in the closet.

That was when the door bell rang and Louise turned to see who it was, and barely resisting the urge to moan in displeasure.

It was Kenny. The dark haired, burly looking man stood in the entrance way of the Saloon, his large fram blocking the beginning setting sun. His shadow stretched across the floor, his face partially obscured as well.

The sudden tense air was not unnoticed by him, but he didn't really seem to care. He walked forward, pulling out a chair from the table closest to her.

"So… you actually went out and did some work. Only two killed, even more bullets wasted, but hey." He began, causing the pinkette to bristle.

Louise was in no mood to deal with this man. "If you are here to insult to me, you can save your breath. Get to the point you wish to make."

"…I'm not impressed. The way Luke was going on about you, you'd think that you killed at least half of that pile instead of just two." He said.

"I didn't expect myself to be a master after my first outing. And I don't think you did either. I _will_ get better." She stated sending the best glare she could.

To her surprise, he actually nodded."Yeah well, I'm actually sure about that, no questioning it." He conceded, confusing the mage, and causing her to raise her voice in frustration.

"Then why are so insistent about me not being here?! Why can you not just give me a chance?!"

He wasn't moved by the display. He just continued to stare at her. "Kid… I've lived through towns being razed to ground before." Kenny said, his voice and eyes suddenly becoming as ice, and Louise could see his eyes seemingly stare through her as he spoke.

"I've gone through losing people I considered family, people I cared about. Seeing my home burn… so many times... sometimes because we let someone in we shouldn't have. Sabotaged our defenses, charming their way into trusting them only to turn and stab us in the back. You got any idea what that's like? I'm sick of starting over, I don't wanna lose these people too. If it comes down to either you or them, I'm picking them to keep safe. Now, maybe I am being a bit too anal about this, maybe I would consider giving you more of a chance.. normally. But you got yourself involved with the NCR." He stated.

Louise groaned. "I did not-"

" _I know_ you didn't _really._ But I think you know why that's a problem by now. They're not above doing something skeevy if they feel like it. And to top it all off, I don't think your being completely honest with us." He finished, his slowly icing tone making her fidget in place.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, not liking where this was headed. The look on Kenny's face did not feel her with any measure of confidence.

"Just answer me this: What as the name of your Vault?" He asked.

"Tristain. The Tristain Vault." She said, puffing her chest slightly in a bit of hometown pride.

His face didn't change, his posture didn't change, his eyes didn't change, and yet Louise suddenly felt as if she had made a grave error. "Well… that's interesting Louise. Very interesting… considering Vaults are numbered…" He said simply.

Louise suddenly felt as though she was being cooked from the inside out, the icy fingers of fear now overtaken her being, her widening eyes conveying the mistake she made clear as day to the man sitting not far from her.

Kenny merely leaned back in his chair a little bit, arms crossed and looking at her with a mixture of disdain and no small amount of suspicion.

"You know, Luke was saying how honest you were, not taking credit where it wasn't earned. But now I'm wondering if there's more you're not telling us..." He said, his voice low and having a slightly threatening tone to it.

Louise said nothing. The two remained silent, eyeing each other in the dusty quiet saloon. Louise felt her eyes flicker to his 10mm pistol on his side.


	11. A Clean Face X

Louise and Kenny continued to stare each other down, her pink hued eyes alight with fear, and his own eyes staring at her with contempt. The petite mage did her best not to show anymore fear and uneasiness than she did already.

Inside her head, she was berating herself endlessly. How could she have been so stupid? Of course she just had to answer him. Why couldn't she have just told him to buzz off, that it was none of his business? Angered him? Sure. But frankly, she could have lived with that. It was a better alternative to this situation. Oh Founder, what would she do now?

"Well? I'm waiting. Anything else you wanna tell us?" he asked, a trace of smugness at his victory, irritating the mage.

"Alright. I _did_ lie about where I came from, but that was it! Everything else I have said is true. I didn't get involved with fighting the NCR, I haven't killed anyone either. Lorcan directed me here, that is all that happened before I arrived here." She explained, clenching her fists and feeling the amount of sweat that had already collected.

"But if you didn't come from a Vault, then why do you need Radaway?" He probed, angering the pinkette further.

" _That_ , is none of your business." She growled.

"Oh Brahmin shit! What the hell else are you not telling us? Is there anyone else that you pissed off, or might be after you?" He demanded, her eyes flicking to the way his hand seemed to inch ever so slightly towards his gun.

"No! There isn't!" She yelled, her furious and panicking mind letting the fact that House had eyes on her slip it by.

"Well how can we trust that claim now? How do we know you didn't help kill those NCR soldiers?" He demaned.

"You mean besides me being a terrible shot? Did you forget that in your brilliant theory?" She snarked, enjoying the look of anger on Kenny's face that resulted from it as she did.

"You-" He began, already getting up from his seat as he spoke, when the doors opened, Luke and Trudy walking in.

"What the hell are you two going about?" Trudy asked, looking at the scene they were making with annoyance.

Kenny didn't take his eyes off Louise. "This little shit lied to us. She isn't from a Vault." He told them, not wasting any time trying to ruin Louise's chances of staying.

"Wait, what?" Trudy confusedly asked, looking between them.

"You heard me. That little story she spun about her being from a Vault is full of shit. She admitted it herself!" He spat out, making the two other adults burn Louise with their questioning gazes.

She sighed deeply, defeat ebbing off her as she looked at Trudy and Luke."…It's true. I'm not from a Vault. But that was the only thing I lied about. I still need Radaway, I didn't get involved with killing NCR soldier, and my poor aim should prove that, that was it! I swear!" She shouted, desperation evident.

Kenny continued to glare at her with absolutely no sympathy. Luke on the other hand had some. He looked uncomfortable, looking between Louise and Kenny, conflict clear on his face. And Trudy... Louise was unsettled when she noticed the look she was getting from her.

Trudy… this wasn't the same understanding woman she had first met. Ever since Jodie, she knew that. But Louise never felt just how strongly when she looked at her at this very moment. They were cold and appraising her in a way she hadn't felt since some of her less sympathetic teachers back home got angry at her. Louise felt shakes coming to her legs by the fear she held right now.

However, it was Luke that broke the painful and tense silence of the Saloon.

"Kenny… now look, I respect ya and all, but I think you're kind of reaching here. How exactly is her lying that she's from a vault a problem?" He asked.

"Cause, I'm wondering what else she isn't telling us. How do we know someone else isn't after her? And why does she need Radaway if she's not from a Vault? You're telling me _that_ doesn't ring any alarm bells?" He demanded, looking at the younger man with an angry questioning look.

"I told Mitchell the reasons, because I trust him not to try and kill me because some man has paranoid delusions!"

He scoffed. "Properly it seems like. I knew there was something you weren't telling us!"

"Kenny!" Luke yelled, stepping in front of the man. He finally drew his attention away from Louise.

"Look I get what you're saying, really I do, and I know why this something you would have a hard time letting go, but Kenny, I think you're overreacting here." The younger man said.

"But she lied." He insisted.

"I know. But really, what's changed? So she's not from a Vault. She's right. She's nowhere good enough of a shot to go fighting NCR soldiers. And how is her needing Radaway a danger to the town? She isn't going to rob us, where the hell would she even go? Primm still under convict control? Sloan, right next to a Deathclaw infested quarry? Nipton, that wretched hive? Even looking at this cynically, Goodsprings is her best option." Luke pointed out.

Kenny still looked unconvinced. "You seriously trust her?" He asked shaking his head in disbelief.

"Enough to feel that we should give her a chance, right now, you're jumping to conclusions. I don't know everything about her, but she deserves that much. Whatever it is about, it's her business. Just like your own past is to Kenny. Trudy, feel like backing me up here?"

Both men turned to face Trudy… who was staring at the pink haired girl with utmost suspicion. She didn't respond right away causing Luke to look at her questioningly.

"Is there anyone else after you?" She asked finally.

There was a potent turbulence of emotions in the youngest Valliere already from the events prior as she asked that question. The cold no nonsense eyes, and knowledge of what Trudy likely felt about her already guided her next words. "No. There is not." She said, tangentially knowing what she said was false, and yet her mind would not let the truth come out.

Her eyes narrowed, Louise did her best to appear as honest as she could. They felt like loaded guns pointed right at her. Finally, however slightly, they seemed to have the safety on."…Whatever it is, it's her business Kenny. If she says it won't endanger the town, then I think we give her a chance, just like Luke said."

"I don't believe this…" He said, exasperatingly looking at her defenders, albeit one who was just barely.

"Give her a chance. She hasn't done anything to hurt us yet, and until she does my opinion on her isn't gonna change." Luke stated.

Kenny didn't say anything. Instead, he merely sighed, and walked to the door, and exited the saloon, not even slamming the door behind him. Nothing was said between those that remained. Luke looked at her with a reassuring look, while Trudy looked like she was contemplating something.

And Louise was beginning to feel the horrible realization, that for her exposed lie, she just told a far worse one…

...

Louise was quick to enter the doctors house again, hurriedly closing the door behind her. She was wringing her hands nervously, barely avoiding little kick nakcs in her way. When she walked into the living room, the elderly doctor instantly knew something was wrong with her.

"Something happen Louise?"

She nodded, sitting down the old couch, sending out a small cloud of dust, but she cared not for it.

"They know I'm not from a Vault now. Kenny… that damn man!" She shouted, stomping her foot in frustration, burying her head into hands.

"What? Mind telling me what went down?"

She sighed. "Kenny… he asked me what the name of my 'Vault' was, which was my cover story, but I didn't know they were numbered. He was able to pick up on that, and now… well, Luke and Trudy thankfully decided to still give me a chance…." She trailed off, the doctor taking that as his que to talk.

"Well, sounds like everything worked itself out right?" He asked, though there was a sense he was waiting for the inevitable 'but'.

"I told them that there was one else after me." She stated through her hands.

"Aaah." He drawled out, now understanding the situation in full. House it seemed, had gone unmentioned.

"I just… oh what have I done? I just painted myself into a worse corner! I'm going to have tell them about House eventually! I…I… aah!" She whimpered. The amount that had happened not five minutes ago was nearly crushing her with stress in a vise like grip.

"Louise, I think you just need to calm down for a spell, and take a breath. Or few. However much it takes." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

It took a few. More than a few. More than a lot actually. The amount of times she breathed in an out deeply was enough to suck the air out of this very room it felt like. Regardless, her runaway thoughts of doom had come to a stop.

"Now… who knows about lie so far?" The old man asked.

"Kenny, Trudy and Luke. But I'm sure Kenny will tell everyone else in town."She responded.

"Alright. Now what do you think you should handle it?"

She bit her lip."I… I don't know. If I go back on it now, that would break whatever trust I have left in them. But… If I tell them the truth, I just don't think potentially getting in House's sights would be all that appealing to them. I-"

The sound of the door opening caused both occupants to look towards the source. Two familiar faces has appeared rounding the corner. Luke and Sunny, the latter of which Louise could make out holding something in her hand.

"Luke? Sunny? Can I help you with something?" Mitchell asked.

"Just wanted to check up on Louise. Heard that something went down, and was wondering why she didn't show up for target practice." Sunny said.

"Yeah, me too. Kenny got a little out of line in the Saloon. You doing alright Louise?" The young man asked

"I… doing as well as I can. I apologize for missing practice, that truly is unbecoming of me." Louise said, doing her best to make herself appear more dignified.

She waved it off. "No problem. Sounds the resident mole rat ass just shat all over your day so I don't blame you for forgetting about it. In fact, there's something I wanted to give you. Here, catch." She threw what she was holding towards a Louise, who yelped as she barely caught the object. She felt it was paper, and looking it over she realized it was akin to books back home. Scrolls were a more apt comparison actually given the malleable cover, but the colorful, if faded, well, cover of it caught her eye.

"An old magazine about energy weapons. I did some thinking, and I realized that energy weapons might be more suitable for you. They have a lot less recoil, and ain't as loud so you can preserve your hearing a lot better. Only problem is that their ammunition is bit more expensive, and they require more frequent maintenance, but all things considered, I'm embarrassed I didn't bring it up sooner. That magazine should give you some details, and most of it's pages are intact so you should get some good info out ta that." Sunny explained walking over as she did, with Luke right behind her.

Louise looked at the magazine which read 'Future Weapons Today' with stylized people that honestly looked kind of creepy to her. Still, idly flipping some pages, and she was bombarded with terms such as 'reflection Mirror Array' and 'Energy cell'. The biggest problem would be working out all of the jargon present. Still, she observed the illustration of the 'laser', the strait red beam that was illustrated coming out of the gun, she felt her eyes widen. That looked like fire magic! Fire magic coming out of something this small, yet powerful enough to kill? Light people aflame even, if some of these illustrations were to be believed? How did they manage that, a clear stream of of fire with no magic? She cast a glance at her own pistol, a sudden powerful interest in the thing. She had no idea 'laser' meant this!

The pictures were detailed, with the inner workings of the laser pistol on clear display. How in the name of Founder did these small things generate enough energy to be equal to that of fire magic? Were they like windstones, producing the magic necessary for use. Well, maybe not magic but still...

"Louise?" Sunny asked, making the pinkette blink before refocusing her attention back on the duo.

She coughed, closing the magazine embarrassed that her academic side got the better of her in front of company. "Thank you Sunny. I appreciate it. Would it be alright if I skipped practice tonight? I just…" She trailed off, the weight of the day crashing over her again.

"It's fine. You got some field experience at least, don't forget that. And don't worry about Kenny. He tries anything, and I'll kick his ass hard enough to make him puke up even more shit than he is right now." She said, smiling.

Luke nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I may respect him, but I think he's letting his past cloud his judgment on this one. I'll try and keep him under control as well. But Louise… I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but… would you mind filling us in on what _exactly_ is up with you? If we're gonna be sticking up for you, I wouldn't mind knowing what we have to work with."

She bit her lip, expecting this to come up, yet dreading it all the same. The two had certainly been the biggest help in town, right behind Mitchell, since she got here. And yet… once again, she was forced to confront that Kenny _was_ right about her. The hanging threat of House was impossible to ignore, and impossible to deny. She needed _someone_ on her side. Mitchell she felt just wouldn't be able to do much if it came right down to it. Sunny and Luke had been most involved with her, and they stood up for once already. They made the most sense and she knew she had to tell them sooner or later. With things they way they were, sooner looked to be the more sensible option. She'd rather not have Victor go ahead and potentially take advantage of this opportunity either, something which he could very easily do with Kenny at any given moment… yes. She felt it was the right option. But how to go about it?

She didn't want to tell them right now, she was just out of monetary range for Radaway. "Well, to start, it's not a complete lie. I really _was_ forced out of my home, and I do have a family. It's just… it's tied to my medical issues. Suffice to say, I can't prove what I claim without giving myself anymore radiation. But I _will_ tell you. I just need a little more time. Tomorrow, I promise."

"Well, alright. We appreciate it."

She nodded. They stayed a while, talking with her, Louise enjoying the company.

...

After the two left, Mitchell made it clear that, yes, he did indeed notice Louise's now critical body odor. He ushered her into the same room with the, ahem, personal use bucket, ushering to what she already guessed before was a bathing contraption before.

She thought it was ruined, like the toilet in the same room, but apparently not. The water itself was surprisingly clear, thought the bathtub itself was an unsettling shade of dark brown. And Founder above, was the water cold! It was just like the cold baths mother made them take when they behaved especially naughty. Though mother herself actually preferred cold baths. Odd habit to keep from her military days.

Still, she endured, for the feeling of clean water, no matter the temperature, was enough to endure it, and she was glad she did when she noticed the level of dirt and grime coming off her floating in the water, the water itself becoming cloudy. Shivering, but not at the cold for once, she began scrubbing herself even more furiously, until she was satisfied and got out, changing into the clothes Mitchell had procured for her. A slightly too big piece of clothing' called a 'hoodie', with the eponymous piece of it flopping around as she put on the jacket. She was surprised it had a zipper on it. They were usually seen as an exotic, and frankly vane feature on boots, most notable Zerbest. Germanians were known for their superior metalwork, and they rather liked to show it off, again demonstrated by the damnable Zerbest.

She was probably laughing that she was gone, laughing at her failure, laughing that a Valliere failed so spectacularly that she blew herself up. Laughing comfortably in the Academy while she was here, trying to make do in this Wasteland, slowly dying of radee ashon.

She mumbled a curse of the non magical variety before slipping on some heavily stained white pants with a series of side pockets and exiting the bathroom. Her hair hadn't received it's proper treatment, but she was glad it got cleaned nonetheless. The amount of dirt now in the water almost made it seem like she had half of the entire Wastelnad hanging on her. She had to forego her bra and panties however, them being just as soiled and dirty as the rest of old clothes. She had thought she heard her mother mentioning something like this, just once, and she now saw why. Founder she felt off...

Not much to do until she washed them. She returned to the doctor in the living room. "Much better. Now you won't just about burn everybody's nose hairs." He said chuckling.

Despite the embarrassment, she grinned slightly at the ribbing, trying to keep her still wet hair from touching the dirty couch she sat on."But, something's been bugging me. Why is Trudy humoring Kenny? Thought she was more down to earth than that." He asked.

"She had a friend that came into town a couple of days ago. Supposedly, she could see into the future. She must have sensed something about, because she ramble doff a bunch of things before running away. I didn't tell her everything that se said, but ever since then, I don't think she fully trusts me either now."

He nodded. "Oh, her? She always was an odd one whenever she came into town, and that was discounting her choice of headgear. She never talked much, except to Trudy. What did she say about you?"

The mage shuffled a bit, uneasy at the memories. "She said… a lot of things. But I know she was scared of me. And now Trudy looks at me differently."

"Hmm. I think you're making the right choice to tell those two the truth soon." Mitchell noted, the girl nodding in agreement.

"Ugh this day is the second worst of my life so far, second only to me coming to this Wasteland. So much has just gone wrong…" She mumbled.

"Now now, don't go blowing a gasket again. One day at a time. Just take a load for now, relax ,play some music." He said.

"…Play music? How? I don't have any musical instruments with me." Louise said, tilting her head in confusion.

"… I never did show how the radio worked did I? Gah, age I tell ya, It's an insidious thing. Here, let me just…" With a simple push of a button that had go unnoticed by her, Louise felt vibrations from her Pip Boy, and then-

" _..adies and gentlemen, I'm your host, Mr. New Vegas."_ Louise nearly felt her brain stop at the sound coming from her wrist mounted contraption.

A voice. An actual Founder damn voice! "W-what the? How.. how in the?" Her eyes felt like they might bulge out of their sockets.

"The radio Louise. Just something you can use to pick up on what's going on outside of the town," He explained. She still looked between him and thing rapidly. True she had witnessed something similar with Victor. But Victor was an, well technically not living, but he was 'alive in the general sense, even he still disturbed her. But this... Founder, what in the-

" _Primm continues to be under lock down, after a gang moved in and promptly seized control. NCR troops have expressed the need for more men to take back the town. Also in the headlines, stories have sprung up about a girl with pink hair, and a fair look in Goodsprings well worth the view. Travelers passing from the town occasionally wonder if the carpet matches the drapes."_

She felt one of her eyes twitch. Again. Her hair, her bloody super important hair was what preceded her! And what did that mean 'carpet matches the drapes'? She turned towards Mitchell, who had taken to putting his head in his open palm.

" _You know, people have asked me if there's a Mrs. New Vegas. Of course there is: You're her. And now some music._ Louise scrunched her brow confused. What in Founders name did that entire sentence have to do with anything?

And then the music started. It started out with a series of string instruments unknown to her, or at least an unknown way playing them. She never heard such instruments coming together in such a way...

' _Play the guitar, play it again, my Johnny. Maybe you're cold, but you're so warm inside._

' _I was always a fool for my Johnny For the one they call Johnny Guitar'_

The lyrics, while heartfelt, were secondary. It was the _feeling_ that got to her. Longing. Longing for something lost, something… just _needed._ She found herself transfixed by the sound coming from her Pip Boy, engrossed. She was never a musical person, the opera's and instrumentation pieces back home never really catching her attention whatsoever. But this one just felt… simpatico. It struck a cord with her in a way never before. Was this what she was missing? She thought back to that glowing box in the Saloon with talking voices out of it, but she didn't even remember what it was she heard... but these lyrics felt like they would never leave her.

She lay on the couch, letting the music take her. Despite the melancholy, she really did feel her stress ebb away. She looked towards the magazine still in her grasp. She reopened it, and began reading some more. The music, a slight cool breeze coming from a partially opened window, and study material turned the evening time one of the most relaxing she had in some while.

...

"Louise wake up!" Was the first thing she heard, and the first thing she felt was a rough shake her awake, and pull the magazine that had been draped over her eyes. As it was pulled off, she was greeted with a darkened, barely visible outline of Mitchell holding a gun.

"Mhhm?" She mumbled, her mind still clouded. She idly noted her Pip Boy wasn't making any music. Mitchell must have turned it off while she slept.

"Gunshots coming from outside. I think you better get your weapon out." He hastily explained, keeping his eyes focused on the door. Now wide awake, and gulping as she did, Louise grabbed her 9mm gun, idly looking at her laser pistol. She had studied well into the night, her newly acquired magazine giving her much need information about her new weapon. Still, for now, she went with the one she had the most experience with.

"I don't hear anymore. Hope it was ours that won." The older man said.

His answer came in the form of a shout from the other side of the door, right outside."Don't shoot doc, It's us. We got a wounded man out here, one of ours." Came the voice, causing her to groan slightly, and gave her an urge to keep her gun raised despite the non threat.

Kenny. Of course He couldn't be the one hurt could he?

"Alright, come in. How bad is it?' Mitchell asked, lowering his gun somewhat, but keeping out just in case.

The door opened, and Kenny walked, helping another man through the door who was limping badly. Kenny offered her a quick glare but that was it. He was all business otherwise as he explained.

"Some bastard thought he would try breaking into the Saloon. We got the jump on him, but he was quick. Got Otis right in the leg. I brained him, end of story." He said, Louise noting the bloodied piece of metal, and blood spatters, on his clothes.

"Powder Ganger?" Mitchell asked, looking over the man, as he was sat down in a chair.

Kenny shook his head. "Nah. Just some random asshole. God, the amount of people going into the ground around here these days…" He grunted,, absentmindedly looking towards the corner where Louise was.

Mitchell looked the wound over. "Well, doesn't look too bad. It'll need a stimpak, but it's not an artery, so be thankful. Just need to get this bandaged up quick." Mitchell said, prepping the medicine, a stimpak. He dipped it alcohol, before getting to work bandaging the mans leg so he didn't bleed everywhere.

The man, Otis, winced as he was tended to. "Ah, thanks doc. And thanks Kenny. I screwed up, I was too slow." The man apologized, Kenny waving him off.

"No problem. Take it easy with that leg. Don't go tearing it open." Kenny said, patting the man on the shoulder like an old friend.

"My thoughts exactly. I'd suggest you lay off strenuous work for about two days. That includes bighorner ranching." He said, authority in his voice.

"Ah, gonna need some someone to help that." Otis said wincing in pain.

Again, Kenny chimed in. "Don't worry. I'll put in some extra work for ya. Not the first time I've worked with the things."

"Thanks man, you're the best." Otis said, gratitude obvious in his voice. Louise couldn't help but marvel at the night and day difference between the way he treated others compared to her. What Luke said about the way he helped him when he came to town came to mind. Kenny really did seem like an honest hard working man, someone she could have respected. Had he not chosen to make her life as difficult as possible, she would very well have.

And It reinforced just how much people in the town respected him. They knew him, trusted him. How many years had he been here, looking out for people? It just went to show why she herself needed to go these extra steps to prove herself.

"Alright, I need some space here to work. Don't worry about him, best to make sure there's no one else snooping around out there." Mitchell said, not taking his eyes off his work.

Kenny nodded, exiting the room with Mitchell and Otis. Kenny rounded the corner, eyeing the pinkette as he did, animosity sparking in both of their eyes. He almost made it to the exit, when he stopped. He turned around, facing her.

"…So. You ever kill a man?" He asked, his tone casual as if discussing the weather.

"W-what? Louise sputtered, not expecting that sort of question.

"Well, you've been talking about signing up for the night watch right? Take a good look kid. This is what can happen out there." He said, gesturing to h is now blood spattered clothes for emphasis.

Seeing her look a bit squeamish at the sight, he scoffed. "Oh, silly me I forgot. You made it quite clear yourself ' _I never killed anyone._ '' He said, a slight mocking tone and higher pitch making her bristle.

"It seems everything I do or don't do is never good enough for you." She said in a low voice.

"This sort of shit can happen during the watch. Killing people is a whole different thing than animals kid. And you haven't even killed one. Maybe you're not from a Vault, but your sheltered all the same. How do we know you won't freeze up, or run away? "

"I, _won't."_ She stated, looking the man right in the eyes, determination.

 _"_ Hpmpf. Well see how that good that goes for everyone when the time comes. Just hope it doesn't result in half the town getting killed. Probably will, one way or another but hey ho." He said, walking out the door, leaving a fuming pink haired girl behind him wanting to shout insults 'till morning.

...

The next day, Louise could safely say the atmosphere of the saloon was a chilly one. Word had spread by now of her lie, and people whispered about her, but surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as she had imagined. Kenny it seemed, perhaps was overestimating how much power he had. Or maybe she somehow made a good enough impression on people already.

Maybe… maybe there was still hope. Regardless, she went about her day best she could. With her newly discovered radio function of her Pip Boy, it was easier to bear the slow hours. One thing that had caught her ear were announcements about some NCR movements. It only caught her attention because she recognized a name: Hank Morrigan. She kept hearing reports on his movements, as he was seemingly nearing the Mojave. He was someone important in the NCR it sounded like. The 'Jackal Hunter' just as Harvey called him. With all the activity going on in the Mojave, she supposed any new players would be worth mentioning, but still something told her it was different for this man. She couldn't quite put her finger on it though. Regardless of her curiosity, when midday came, she rustled her coin sack, nervous about her first true purchase of Radaway.

She entered the store, and looked around. An assortment of ware on shelves around her. She eyed a few, such as sunglasses, as she was told, and a proper sun protection hats. Sadly, she wasn't sure if she had enough, and not to mention the other things on her to do list today. She spotted a man bent over behind a counter, looking like he was in the process of picking something up, before he heard the door open.

"Ah welcome to the Goodspr… oh, it's you." The man narrowed his eyes when he got a good look at her.

"I see my reputation precedes me…" She said sighing.

He chuckled, though there was some animosity to it. "More like your hair." Louise growled. "I was told about you. Heard you might drag us into trouble, as if we haven't had enough of that." He said, making the pinkette nearly groan.

"I am sorry for lying, I really am, but that's not why I am here. I am here to buy some Radaway." She said, not in the mood to deal with more of this. Perhaps she should have been more cordial all things considered, but she had more important matters on her list at the moment.

To his credit, the man seemed to put whatever he felt aside for business sake. "Ah yes, Radaway. Bit of a rare thing in these parts. The Followers of the Apocalypse used to be one of the more reliable sources of it, but ever since the roads started getting more dangerous, it's been dropping in quantity."

"So it's more expensive than usual…" She guessed.

"Yes. It's nothing personal, just the way it is." He said, again with more honesty than she expected for some reason.

"And how much?" She asked.

"Three hundred caps." He said simply.

Thank the Founder, she had enough. The four hundred caps in her pouch soon became one hundred. Despite the man's noted dislike of her, he gave her the medicine without incident, and she soon left. She had matters to attend to now.

...

She dropped it off at Mitchell's and soon found Sunny and Luke. Asking Sunny to take them to an out of sight place out of town, she lead the way, with Luke in tow as well, out of town, behind some rocks.

Once again, she was forced to endure the looks of telling her origins.

"…another world?" They asked in unison.

"Yes. I am a student of the Tristain Magical Academy, full name Louise La Blanc De La Valliere, and I come from another world. Do you understand now why this was so difficult to explain?" She asked, already having her answer from the sheer looks of confusion and disbelief on their faces.

"That why you called us out here? Provide some proof for this?" Luke summarized.

She nodded. Procuring her wand and aiming it away from the group.

"Fireball!" She shouted, and once again, she was greeted with a sharp stab of pain in her head, her Pip Boy clacking, and a warm sensation over her body as the spell cycled through colors again, before flying outward, impacting the ground, this time Louise having the foresight to aim even further and rocks impacted safely away from them.

Both Sunny and Luke stared with jaws agape, and eyes wide. Even as the last of the rock and first fell from the spell, it took a visible effort on Sunny's part to speak through the shock."…well. Magic. That's… something…' Sunny tried, oh how she tried.

"Something? The girl's a grenade launcher on legs! Man, why didn't you tell us this sooner? You have any idea how useful that could be in a place like this?" He asked, his shock giving away to excitement, the explosive results obviously appealing.

"You mean the fact that I get radee ashon every time I use it?" she asked pointedly.

They both snapped back from the awe they got from the spectacle, Luke spitting out some dust that blew into his mouth. A rather apt metaphor she felt.

"And just existing here is giving me it. I'm not adapted to it like everyone else, the only thing like me that is a Vault Dweller. So… that's my origins."

The adults looked between themselves"Well… like we said we appreciate you finally telling us this. I mean, it's given us some things to think about. Nother world..." He trailed off, the implications of that just now hitting him.

"But why didn't you just tell everyone? Louise, this is the upper end of weird, but really Luke is right. That ability could really come in handy, and if you get radiation from using it then that assures you won't go abusing it. Really, why hide it? It's given far more trouble than if you just told everybody." Sunny asked, still just as much in shock as Luke was, but she had enough of her senses back to ask a relevant question.

"Because I was worried about what kind of reaction I would get. Kenny was after me before I could even think about it, ranting about how I was a danger to the town. And House found out after I showed Mitchell. In a way, sadly, Kenny was right." She imparted, lowering her head slightly.

"Wait, House? He's involved?"

"Why would he be after her? I mean explosions are cool and all, but they ain't nothing those Securitrons couldn't do." He pointed out.

"You mean besides the ability to transport to another world? A world not scorched by nuuucleer fire?" She said, grimacing at her butchering of some of these words once more.

Finally, understanding was on their faces, a sobering silence before Louise continued.

"I don't want to give him access to my home, even if he could help me get back. I've heard about what kind of person he is, and I know what kind of weapons this world has, how much damage they could do. That's why I need to stay here. And not get handed over to him by townsfolk thinking I'm more trouble than I'm worth. With the way things are right now, all he has to do is demand me and he just might get me. Trudy doesn't trust me anymore. Kenny wants me out. And... now I just said that one is after, even though House might be. I just..."

"Louise, you can count on us. We aren't gonna hand you over to him. And we ain't gonna let Kenny push you around. You're not alone here, remebr that." The blonde hunter said, Luke nodding in agreement.

Louise felt a true smile on her features.

...

After Louise had shown Sunny and Luke the truth, the three began to truly connect. With no more secrets to keep helping tremendously, Louise found herself seeking one of them out when she could,, and sometimes they in turn did as well. Louise continued her firearm training, and going out on hunts more frequently. Despite the renewed suspicion, Louise's hard work and dedication to helping the town visibly had an effect. More and more people started talking to her. Louise leaned their names, some of their own stories, the old man Pete in particular had quite a lot from his tales of prospecting, or scavenging as was the less polite term. One tale in particular had him lose an entire case of dynamite due to some geckos who could breath fire, which she promptly paled at, eating the dynamite and not even having the courtesy to leave enough meat and hide for him to trade.

Sunny and Luke had done their best to smooth over concerns with the other townsfolk, assuring them that Louise truly meant no harm. Though some still had told them of Trudy's friend Jodie, and her 'predictions' about her, or at least it was enough to get Trudy suspicious of her. She was more Sunny's priority than Luke's. She had been coaxing her little by little, but sadly, there still seemed like something she would never truly be able to get over. It saddened Louise honestly. She had given her a job and treated her fairly, and still did admittedly, but the now wall between them looked insurmountable, and Louise could only wonder what might have been otherwise.

They hadn't revealed Louise's true origins or other problems, with her training and her experience with firearms now deemed acceptable, with no small amount of help from her laser pistol, the ammunition which was able to afford now with her more frequent hunting trips, she hadn't missed her old 9mm. Sunny was right, these energy weapons were far easier to handle. That said, Sunny still made her practice with the normal gun. Better to have to weapons she could use as opposed to one she argued and Louise found it hard to disagree. And her ears disagreed less with every practice so yay…

Three weeks, well three Mojave weeks, of hunting, serving at the Saloon, Louise biting the bullet somewhat and using her school attire during serving hours, and using the offered clothes from Mitchell all other times. It kept the caps coming, and Louise was able to put how uncomfortable she felt aside for survivals sake. It got easier actually. The first week, she couldn't shake the shame she felt, actually doing it intentionally. It mostly subsided by the second week, and by the third, she did it without thinking. Really, her discomfort with it came after when she reflected on it, how unbecoming of this for her it was. But, the radee ashon cared not for her feelings, and she supposed that she could be doing far worse things than just posing. Rad-X was nearly just as expensive as Radaway after all.

She did however notice something odd while out hunting. She and Sunny had kept coming across radscorpion corpses all torn up. Even finding some of their bigger brothers having the same fate, all torn up, looking like something had eaten it and left the remains to rot in the sun. Sunny had speculated some mutant, or more, may have moved into the area, which just pointed to another problem they would likely have to deal with.

Regardless, with her skills improved, it was time for her first night watch… with Kenny.

...


	12. A Clean Face XI

Louise felt a sort of tumbling nervousness in her stomach which she hadn't felt for a while now. The amount of times she had forced herself out into the wild had wore down the novelty of it. She had become fair hunter of geckos now, no longer cowering before them and shooting far more than when he had started at least. The increase in caps had been well worth the danger, and she had even been seriously considering learning how to properly clean the kills as well. She did put some honest thought into it, that way she wouldn't split money with Sunny and Luke. It was something to think about. Founder, she never thought she would want to do something as revolting as that. But, nearly a month fighting off poison slowly draining your life causes one to reevaluate what they would and would not do she supposed.

She sighed a little, snuffling as she did, as she double checked laser pistol, making sure she had an energy cell in it. Nearly a month… her thoughts of home still stung her when she thought about it. An entire month of her being gone, of Catt worrying, and whatever else commotion her disappearance caused when she was taken. She still thought about her family every day, at least once, and part of her was terrified that there would come a day where she wouldn't even think of them willingly.

She shook her head. No! She couldn't think like that, She would find a way home… somehow. She hadn't had the opportunity to even practice the Summoning spell in the past month, the cost of Radaway, and the inability to hide her magic when she did, being the main causes. The one saving grace was that, It sounded like Primm had been cleared of Powder Gangers 'by a third party' as Mr. New Vegas had claimed. This radio, and was she happy she could pronounce things properly now, was a Founder send. She had heard so much more since she discovered it, so many things going on around the Mojave.

Speaking of which, as her thoughts on the situation in Primm were in her head, she remembered something she had promised herself, "The NCR is useless." She declared, to one present but herself. One man did what a squad of them couldn't it sounded like. She had no qualms about saying that. And they still haven't done anything but sit just outside the town with their thumbs providing a comfortable enough sitting cushion.

She sniffled again. Well, hopefully she would prove herself far more than that merry bunch of incompetents. She walked out of the room she was in. A newly bought sun hat hanging behind her by a piece of string hanging around her neck, and 'sunglasses' tucked in her pocket, unneeded given the low light conditions she would soon find herself in. Doc Mitchell was standing by the exit observing her as she approached.

His eyes held a certain nostalgia, Louise could almost see the memories flash in them. "My, It's been a while since I've seen that sort of transformation on a person. You certainly carry yourself with a lot more confidence. Reminds me of my wife. Though she favored a shotgun. Took to it far faster than I did with guns. One day, we just stopped being the bumbling scared Dwellers, and the next… well, there more cases of men having their peckers blown off." He finished chuckling at the memories of his long gone wife.

She chuckled with the doctor, the morbid thought entertaining her more than it should maybe.

"But, regardless Louise, good luck." He said.

"Thanks, I… aaacho!" She sneezed, just barely avoiding covering Mitchell with an unpleasant coating from her nose.

He grimaced. "Ah. Sounds like that nose irritation you told me about finally decided to make itself more of a nuisance." The doctor said sighing.

"I, uh, gah, excuse me. I think I am starting to come down with something." Louise said, just as resigned to this irritation as he was. They both knew this was going to happen sooner or later.

"Hm. Keep an eye on that. It sounds like it's the beginning of a cold. Might be those health issues we talked about finally making an appearance. If it is, we need to be prepared in case it turns into a sinus infection. Might want to consider having some caps on standby so you can get some medicine if you need it." He cautioned.

She nodded, not really having too much time to dwell on her potential illness. The nervousness about her first watch overriding it. With that, she walked to the door, and stepped outside, the twilight of the sunset, holding an ominous feeling for her.

...

She walked down the hill towards the Saloon. She had taken up the first shift, deciding that it would be easier on her if she got sleep before starting her next shift at the Saloon than running on naps. Her endurance and stamina had increased since she got here at least as before hunting trips that used to exhaust her, now merely made her only marginally tired. That alone would help her, because she already went on a hunting trip today. She could feel tiredness clinging to her muscles, but she had begun to learn the art of simply ignoring it. Sunny had help tremendously in that regard as well.

She opened the door to the Saloon, already catching sight of the other patrol members for this one, as well as some others who had been visiting with them. Sunny was among them, as well as Luke. Otis it seemed was also part of it. The balding, slightly plump man sat next to Pete, the elderly prospector who tipped his hat to her as she entered.

And of course, Kenny. Standing furthest away from her, but his glare was visible from any distance away.

"You two gonna play nice?" Sunny asked as Louise entered, her presence souring the atmosphere from before.

Kenny scoffed. "Hmpf. I ain't gonna cause shit for the hell of it. Only when she misses her shot and hits me."

Louise frankly, had enough of this man. Good natured beneath his antagonism towards her be damned, after three weeks of this nonsense, she was out of patience to deal with his attitude.

"Don't worry, I'll only aim for the head. Seems thick enough." She snarked. Sunny and Luke both chuckling. Otis too it seemed to giggle.

He grumbled, irritated, but a barb of his own ready as well."Oh goodie, she's got a big mouth on her now. You mind putting some extra ammo in there? At least something good and worthwhile would come out of there at least."

Before she could return, Sunny interrupted. "I was thinking the same thing about you Kenny. What was that about not starting shit? We got work to do."

The animosity on his face, while still present, gave way to more important matters at hand. "Alright. Kid, it ain't that complicated. There's two groups patrol the town and watch the perimeter. One on the south side, on on the north. Not much chance of something coming from Vegas considering the Cazador infestation that way. Speaking of which, how is the plan to clear those things coming along?" He asked, turning his head to Sunny.

"Well enough. Some hired guns came by the last few days. They have a reasonable price range, and don't look like they're inexperienced idiots at least. Odd thing though, they said someone already paid some of their price, so that makes it easier on us. Some trader by the sound of it." She explained.

Hearing that, Louise perked up. She knew who that was. "That was probably Harvey. He's a trader I talked to while working at the Saloon. He offered to help send some people who could help up clear out the hunters." It was good to see he had kept his word. But she had been worried for him. He and his daughter, Dani, were fairly regulars at the Saloon. Usually stopping in twice or three times a week. But this past week they hadn't stopped by once. If Primm was secure enough now, perhaps that explained it but still. She worried for them. They seemed like good people who always treated her well. She offered a silent prayer for them regardless, this not being Brimir's land be dammed.

"Really? Why would he care about our problems?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He says it is because he doesn't want to go through Nipton. From what I understand, that town is not a good one." She explained.

She heard a scoff from one of the people, Kelly she remembered. "That's an understatement…" was all that was said on the matter, but the shared looks among the rest just added to Niptons already dim image in Louise's mind.

"Well good for us then at least. But back on topic, Me, Sunny and Luke will take the northern most end. Pete, Otis,… kid, you got the south end. It's mostly walking and sitting in the dark." Kenny Explained.

"That doesn't mean you should let your guard down. Remember Louise, something's been tearing up those radscorpions out there." The blond reminded her.

She knew that well enough. Due to her more frequent hunting trips, she had gotten to know the area surrounding the town better, and that included it's resident pests. In the more outer reaches, there tended to be those horrid giant scorpions, with more than a few of the giant versions that had chased the pink haired girl into town. And more than a few of said bigger ones had been found by Sunny and Louise just… _shredded._ She didn't think it was a Deathclaw, but regardless, it was obvious something had moved into the area. Just in time for her first watch. Lovely. Sunny had asked her if she was sure she wanted to do the watch this week, suggesting to hold off until whatever it was moved on. So much so, that she even didn't let Cheyenne join her on watches now, even though she had been healed for quite some time. But Louise refused. She wanted to prove herself and that was final.

"Just make sure she doesn't fall asleep. You got five hours until your shift is done. Think you can handle that?" He asked, though surprisingly, there was little derision in it. They all looked at her, waiting for an answer.

"I will." She said, staring down the man. Her intense and proud gaze was broken by a sneeze. Kenny laughed.

...

The sun's top was just barely over the horizon now. The orange glow of the evening rapidly losing ground against the darkness of night. A chilly breeze kicking up some dust as she shivered slightly, but held her ground. She'd come this far, she wasn't about to thwarted by some cold night. The two other men behind her didn't seem to care much at all at the cold seeping through their clothes. They had taken up post inside an abandoned building on the very edge of town, an entire wall having been missing for some time. Simple wooden chairs with some blankets had been left here, along with some empty bottles of Nuka Cola and Sarsaparilla. The house still offered a good view of the open range, yet gave them cover in case someone tried taking pot shots, as Sunny had called them, at the guards. She sat down, grateful for the fabric at least, though a spiteful breeze chilled her before she could get it in place.

She gripped her laser pistol tighter. The sun had disappeared completely now, and as they began their watch as what light remained was soon swallowed up by darkness in full. And after about an hour or so, checking her Pip Boy to make sure, she realized that, it was just as Kenny had described it. Walking and sitting in darkness, watching for any signs of activity. She hadn't noticed it before, but now finally being outside in the night for once made her realize just how much the moons back home illuminated the night. While the bigger one waxed and waned, much like this worlds smaller one, the small blue one back home was a nearly constant source of light. She honestly couldn't recall a time, on this world or her native one, where the darkness of the night was just felt so _complete._

Even as the minutes passed, and her eyes began adjusting to the low light levels, she couldn't help but marvel at the nearly suffocating feeling the darkness gave her. She felt her breathing pick up slightly, her eyes darting back and forth, a bit of nervousness overtaking her momentarily. She was keenly aware of just what lurked out there…

"Hey kid, Louise, you doing good so far?" The man, Otis, asked. He must have noticed her nervous look. While she wasn't going to back down, there was no denying precisely how she felt.

The pink haired mage sniffled. "As well as I can be so far. This _is_ my first watch." She said through her clogged nose, shifting on her feet uneasily.

"Yeah, we got that. Don't worry. Like Kenny said, this is usually about as exciting as it gets. The north enders usually got more to worry about. With the Cliff side, and the hills in that area, threats from that side got a lot more places to hide. Well, before those bugs moved in at least. At least here we got a nice open area to look at. Won't be easy for anything to sneak up on us." Otis declared.

Louise had to concede that part. The southern road out of Goodsrpings was on a more even and open area not giving anything wishing to sneak up on them a good range of cover. Even in the darkness, they would be hard pressed to do so.

Looking around the darkened out regions of the town, she saw a faint glow coming from a small shack on the very outskirts of town on the eastern side. She already who knew who, or rather what it was. Victor. That damnable machine. She could see it moving slightly as it's body rotated from side to side occasionally. Victor had turned out to be less trouble than she thought he would be, but regardless, she still didn't care much for it. It hadn't tried to reveal anything about her, or pester her in any way really. Odd. She was prepared for _something_ to come from it, but nothing did.

Well, it better keep that non interfering tactic, otherwise Goodpsrings would be down one useless robot…

She continued her watch, her oncoming cold making her sniffle more than once, the other two not commenting on it at all though. Founder she wished she had some tissue paper, or something to blow into. "You know Louise, I'll be honest. I didn't think you'd actually do this." Otis said.

"Oh, really?" Not an uncommon opinion of her, but she decided to humor him. He didn't seem to be in an antagonizing mood.

"Well, see I had you pegged for being more like one of those spoiled little brats from Brahim Barons up in NCR territory."

She raised an eyebrow. She'd heard a little about Otis's past. Forced off his family's ranch by bigger ones looking to expand. He wasn't even technically a citizen from what he had said. Just one day the NCR showed up, declared the settlement he had grown up in theirs, and soon afterword he was forced to move.

"I've known how bad they can get. Little shits who don't know a single day of hard work in the hot sun, or keeping an eye out for their town in the cold nights. Living off their parents wealth surrounded by hired guards all the time, while us common folk gotta look out for ourselves. The most the NCR cared for us was taxes. Usually focused on the big money." He grumbled, Louise wincing at what he said, feeling as if he was addressing her more than he intended. He continued. "I've had my share of run-ins with those well to do idiots and well, I admit I may have judged a book by its cover when it came to you. But you proved me wrong. I don't know the full story with you yet maybe, but maybe Kenny was jumping to conclusions with you. I think you're worthwhile to have around." Otis said, shrugging his shoulders.

She snorted, her snot filled nose still conveying a dim sense of humor. "Funny, where I come from, I was known as a failure, every day I was reminded of that. By almost every person." She said, giving a bit more of her own personal history.

"Now I find that hard to believe." Otis said simply. She could see a faint nod from the old man Pete, it saying just as much as Otis did in his entire talk.

Louise smiled softly, and felt a warm glow that helped her through the many hours she kept watch.

...

The night wore on, the three of them keeping a watch out for anything at all looking to make the town of Goodsprings it's target. But nothing. Even though she had the feeling that there was something lurking out there, obviously, nothing besides a few non mutated critters scurrying about, or chilly breezes in the moonless night made themselves known.

It was a while of staying in one spot before it was decided to move to a different spot. Purely for the sake of doing something. It would still give them a good open area to observe, and the constant vigilance of the grand emptiness was boring beyond measure, no matter the lingering thoughts on everyone's mind that that could change at any second. So they began their short journey to another vantage point, a short distance away.

And as they ascended the hill that was when Louise saw it. In her slightly sleep deprived mind, she thought it was sunrise for a moment. But soon she realized what it was: A city. New Vegas, shining brighter than any of her home cities, and a blazing mass of orange contrasting the ink blackness that stretched on forever around them. She was a bit transfixed by the sight she had to admit, even stopping to admire it. To think, the people of this world were capable of such feats at one time…

"First time seeing a city like Vegas?" Otis asked.

She nodded, quickly catching up to them. "Yes. I heard about it, but I never took the time to actually _see_ it…" She trailed off, still transfixed by the sight.

And to think, this world was once covered with them. It depressed her somewhat whenever she thought about this world's past. And seeing one of the only cities intact like that from what she had heard made her sigh. This world must have been a grand sight in its heyday, filled with all sorts of technology, and sights and sounds… all blasted away by a war 200 years ago. She sighed, the feeling of nostalgia for a world not even hers surprising her with how strongly she felt for it. Wrist mounted health monitoring rdios, lasers, which she had been fascinated to find out was essentially a lighting spell without the thunderclap all in one little gun, and those... ugh, robots, ugly miniature golems with horrid faces. She could do without those ones at least.

As she took up post in their new spot, her mind had wandered back to what Otis had said earlier,, about her being some spoiled entitled child... she couldn't help herself from lingering on that whenever it reentered her mind, this one thought bothering her on a more personnel level. The way Otis described the NCR, taxing the people on their land, yet not really being around and usually only reacting to threats after the fact… she couldn't help but draw parallels between the, despite being them being as opposite as one could get in a system of government. It was easier to dismiss such things as typical commoner grumbling, but now actually having been the one who stays up during the night? She could say without a doubt her perspective had changed. How often had they had to do this back home? Have some endured short sleeps, and yet have them get up early to do work? What was the feeling of putting yourself on the line, and knowing your official protectors would be too far away, likely only finding corpses? To know your fate was in the hands of people whom you might not even see… there was just so many things she hadn't even considered about them...

Those thought and more irritated her through her shift as the minutes ticked on by, the three of them just as bored and watchful in their new spot as their old.

"Louise, what time is it?" The old man, Pete asked, having spoken for the fist time since the watch began. She glanced down at it. Thankfully, the Pip Boy glow from her wrist was nonexistent unless she actually accessed it. She winced as it appeared, and quickly got her time, and closed out the painful light.

"Almost 12:30. Our shift is almost up." Thank Founder. Her eyelids definitely felt like they gained some weight to them, and she felt her yawns increase in number as her shift wore on. And to think, she would have to get up in about five hours…

Pete sounded like he too was ready to turn in. "Good. Old age doesn't do any favors on these long nights. At least-" He trailed off, his thought left unfinished. He seemed focused on something, his posture changing. She was about to ask what was wrong…then, they heard it. It was an odd sound; one Louise couldn't quite place at first thought. It sounded like a pepper shaker, or a lot of them shaking in the night. Or maybe it was just her tired mind trying to come up with an adjective and failing.

It stopped, but the confusion had not. "The hell? Was that rattling? Watch your feet, sounds like a rattler around here." Otis said. That got her attention, Louise having been warned about rattlesnakes long before from Sunny. Now fully awake, Louise and Otis began scanning the ground around them for any signs of snakes, but Pete kept his eyes on something. The noise started again, but the old man paid it no heed. Louise couldn't see his eyes, but there was a subtle posture change that suddenly made her feel very nervous.

"Bring your eyes back up here you two. This watch just got a lot more dangerous." He said, his voice low, demanding attention from the both of them. Both man and girl heeded the elder's words and brought their gazes back up, scanning for whatever had him spooked.

It was a difficult thing, even with Pete's eyes locked on exactly what it was making that odd noise, to locate it. But when she did she sincerely wished she hadn't. It looked like the faint outline of a coyote… and yet, something seemed off about it. The few coyotes she had run into while hunting never crouched to the ground like this one did. And the head seemed sleeker, and the black outline of a tail seemed far too big to be a coyote. And that sound… that horrible rattling sound it was coming from it. What in the name of the Void was she looking at?

"Oh no, is that what I think it is?" Otis questioned, a thick layer of fear extending to Louise as well.

The old man nodded slightly, his hands opening and closing rapidly by his sides. "Night Stalker." Was all he said. The sound of rattling continued from the one spot, but Louise saw something moving in the darkness to her right just barely catching her eye, causing her to swivel with such speed she almost made herself fall over.

" _There!"_ She whispered harshly, worried that even that would set off the creatures. She pointed, just as fearful of the action as her words. She actually forgot to raise her gun for a few moments, and as she did she swore she heard a dangerous mixture of a growl and hiss coming from the creature, as if it knew that the gun was dangerous.

The men must have seen it if the muttered swear by Otis was any indication. "Otis, eyes back on your end. They might be trying to distract and surround us. Louise, keep you gun level, but check around the area, see if the way back to town is clear. We might have to make a run for it." Pete said, slowly grabbing some sticks of dynamite.

Hard as it was taking her eyes off the threat, with considerable effort she did so. She cast her gaze towards the town, the short distance now seeming the length of Albion with the… Night Stalkers prowling around them. In the dark, she saw some shapes dart back and forth, either laying in wait, or moving closer to them. Either way, the way back was not clear.

"I saw movement towards the town, I think at least two." She said, her voice nearly trembling, but remarkably she kept it from doing such.

"Clever girls…" He muttered, making slow careful movements as she noted he acquired four sticks of dynamite, flicking a lighter open in his right hand.

"Anyone else have any explosives?" He asked tersely.

Louise wondered briefly if she should reveal herself now. It seemed like a good opportunity to do so. Whatever these Night Stalkers were, they were obviously dangerous enough to warrant a certain level of fear from the two more experienced Wastelanders. It would be two-fold in proving she's valuable and finally put and end to this blasted secret.

Otis however, beat her to the punch. "Yeah, I got a grenade. What's the plan, throw them, blast the ones we can make out, and leg it back to town?" He balding man asked.

The old man nodded. "Sounds right. Night Stalker packs tend to be big, no way we're seeing all of them right now. We're gonna need some help unless we feel like getting swarmed. Just hope Kenny's group isn't being surrounded as well. Get ready to shoot and fire you two."

Louise gulped, keeping her laser pistol trained on the black spot… and did it move closer? Oh Founder it did! So focused was she on the creature, she didn't notice the stick of dynamite, and grenade thrown.

And then, for a brief second, her whole world was a mixture of a nearly blinding light and ear pain, and a horrifying muddled picture of an abomination.

With a howl of aggression suddenly erupting all around them and beyond in the wastes, the creature she was watching offering it's own shifting from its ground hugging crouch it shot up with such speed, Louise did the most sensible thing in the world at such a sight.

Louise screamed... and she fired her laser pistol, the red beam illuminating the creatures feature in full for a brief second, but it was all that was needed for it to be ingrained for the rest of her life. There was an unmistakable fact she had seen: It may have had four legs, and the body of coyote, but the forked tongue and fangs, and outright Founder damn _snake head_ told her that was only half of the problem. The scales on it's back, and it's rattlesnake tongue combined with the distinctly canine ears and mammal body, disgusted her. It's front legs were outstretched, it's mouth open ready to swallow the tiny pink morsel that was her head whole.

Well, until her laser tore through it's upper mouth and straight into it's right eye, lighting it's head alight. She could have sworn she heard it go 'pop' even through the racket of howls and hissed around them. It soon flopped to the ground, rolling and twisting with it's snake like back allowing for truly horrifying motions as it howled and _screamed_ as its scaly head and furry ears burned. She stood there like an idiot, stunned before she felt a rough grasp on her.

"RUN!" Pete yelled, harshly yanking the stunned girl out her stupor, literally, and thrusting her towards the town, lobbing more sticks of dynamite at the now charging abominations.

She didn't need to be told twice. She ran, Her legs feeling almost nonexistent as she moved them, the explosions and gunshot behind her gave her more fuel. She ran past the Saloon, just barely recognizing it as such even with it's lights turned on, when she saw three familiar forms come around the corner of it guns at the ready.

"Night Stalkers!" Pete yelled. The other group not wasting time with questions, began shooting at the eponymous monsters. Only when they did, did Louise dare to turn around… and blanched. She could see the shapes moving in the darkness, fast and nimble as they ducked weaved with terrifying speed, their ability to track who was going to fire far more horrifying than even their appearance.

"Otis, on your right!" Sunny called out. The man turned, as did Louise did to witness it, just in time to have a long set of fangs clomp down on his shoulder. His pained screamed reverberated within Louise, making her focus solely on the event her, her eyes unblinking. Remarkably, the snake coyote hybrid did not stay long attached to Otis, quickly letting him go and darting off away from the shots aimed at it, it's snake back making a revolting unnatural looking motion with the canine body as it twisted away from the humans.

Otis was soon lying on the ground, cursing loudly, audible even over the gunfire. Sunny quickly moved to pull him into the group as Luke and Kenny began doing their best to help Pete fend off the pack, but just one look out in the open distance was enough for one to lose hope. Shapes, howls, hisses and rattling, all came bounding towards the town. Even with the others having woken up by now, if the sound of doors banging open was any indication, Louise honestly didn't know if they could.

Even now, they struggled to hold off the paltry few who harassed them, only having killed a few of the pack it seemed. They did their best, though Louise herself hesitated, fear making her indecisive. She hadn't done much since seeing Otis bit. Everything was happening far too quickly. This wasn't the hunting trips she was used to, this was a full on battle! These abominations were exceedingly more nimble and dangerous than the geckos and normal coyotes she was sued to facing. She hadn't fired since before she ran into town, and though she had her laser pistol raised, she still didn't know if she could hit them with how badly her hands shook. Pete barely could, the damn things having adapted to the dynamite sticks as well now. And then, something else had to go wrong.

"Kenny!" Luke called out. Making the girl swivel her head towards the man.

A Night Stalker had managed to get a hold of Kenny's arm, his rifle falling to the ground, but not with it's fangs it looked like. It's coyote teeth had clamped down hard on his left arm, making the man drop his rifle. Kenny, let loose a storm of swears as he reached for his handgun. He didn't get a chance when another one got hold of his right leg, dragging him to the ground before shots from Sunny and Luke drove them away, one of which grazed atop the one that grabbed Kenny's leg back, sending blood and scaly flesh onto the wall behind him.

Louise looked around, seeing the other houses light up and doors fly open, and back to the dankness where now the pack was almost upon their group. The things pressed forward, their keen eyes tracking who was going to fire, and expertly eyeing the tossed dynamite by Pete. There were some that fell, but numbers, she could safely say even at a glance, was not on the towns side. She flicked her eyes to the pained forms of Otis and Kenny, the near panicking reactions on Luke and Sunny, her friends, the screaming of the monsters almost upon them.

At that moment, she felt something shift within her. She blinked. She knew what she had to do. Feeling her stunned state shatter like glass she ran forward right next to Pete who was at the forefront of the group, here eyes hardening with a fierce determination.

She pulled out her wand, aimed at the swarm. Pete yelled at her to get back or to start firing, or do something useful. Oh Founder as her witness did she intend to fulfill that promise.

"Fireball!" She yelled, the now familiar preceding light show of colors and pain going off, before the spell flew through the night. She witnessed some beasts try to doge it, but much to her please, one in particular, one with a burnt head, could only look dumbfounded with it's snake eyes as the swift light impacted right on it's chest. The result was instant, a bright and thunderous explosion erupting, tearing through the hybrid with ease, sending no small amount of blood, insides went flying outwards. It also caught two more trailing behind the lead one, and one off to the right was knocked over from the blast, and a bone fragment from it's brethren embedding itself in it's face.

The gunshots stopped, she faintly heard. Cries of alarm, and fear rang out directed towards her. Louise however, did not stop. Fueled by adrenaline, she adjusted her aim, braced for the pain, and chanted another 'Fireball' spell to her left, catching a group of four coming over the hill, soon nothing but a smoking crater with three dead, and one with two broken legs trying to limp away. She adjusted her aim to the right, the group of four heading towards the emerging towns people from their homes. She was a little off having overcompensated, but it was enough to decapitate one and send the remaining three flying backwards.

The shocked silence of the towns folk was broken when a gunshot from Sunny ended the limping Stalker, and Luke quickly put down the three stunned ones, and yelled at the rest of them."The hell you idiots gawking for!? Shoot them!"

Pete was the firs to oblige. He quickly brought his shotgun to bear on one trying to get to Louise, but so focused was it on her, the biggest threat, it failed to notice the old man not far from her before it's head was blasted off.

Louise felt the pressure in her head increase with each spell. This was the first time in a while since she had any extended magic use, and already she felt a dull warm settling over her, her cackling Pip Boy not comforting her at all. But one more was needed. The monsters were disoriented, and no longer on the offensive. She needed to end this. With one final incantation, her head felt like it was in a vice, the pain in her skull nearing unbearable levels.

But the deed was done. The group in her sights was nothing more than a smoking pile of meat now. The survivors of her fury, either being close enough to the explosions to be disoriented, or catching some shrapnel of rock and bone, no longer agile were easy prey for the towns folk now in full force to pick off. After the last shot was fired, the howling was gone, and after a brief pause, the crickets of the night started again as if nothing had happened. The only other sound being the pained grunts of Otis and Kenny.

Louise lowered her wand, panting as the physical pain in her head was taking longer to go away.

She turned back to find the entire town staring at her, Otis and Kenny included.

...

 **Alright, there is a slight change of plans. I was planning on having the end of Arc 1 be next chapter, but this turned out longer than I imagined, so one more chapter to go until the finale! Ah, I can hardly wait... that's when things get interesting...**


	13. A Clean Face XII

It had been over a year since Louise De La Vallière felt this many stares of this magnitude directed at her all at once. It almost rivaled her aching head at the moment… well, not really, because the headache was painful enough to make one consider bashing their head against a brick wall in the hopes of knocking themselves out and only have to deal with the headache resulting from _that._ Really, the stares might have been the only thing keeping her from doing just that. Everyone from Pete, to Trudy, to Kelly and Chet looked at her with wide disbelieving eyes. Luke had a 'oh crap' look plastered on his face as his eyes wandered over everybody observing their reactions. Sunny meanwhile, was the only one actually tending to the wounded Kenny and Otis, applying healing powder to their wounds. She brought her head up, a greatly annoyed look on her face.

"HEY! In case you all forgot, we got wounded here! Pete, get Mitchell and tell him to get the antivenom here now! The rest of you keep watch in case anything else comes crawling here." Sunny ordered, her eyes flicking towards Louise.

Aside from a sideways glance at her, the elderly man complied, moving as fast as he could to Mitchell's house, the dcotor's house lights already on, and the door open. He disappeared inside, though the mage could see the outlines of them as they talked and moved around inside.

That left her with the rest of the town. The shocked looks they were giving her were illuminated in the light of the Saloons lights, not even having the veil of the night to help shield her from them. She ran her eyes over all of them, waiting for someone to speak, Trudy in particular she kept an eye on. Given the events between them, if something where to happen, she had a feeling it would be from her first.

Though she was proven wrong not long after the thought crossed her min, Kenny, as always it seemed, had something to say. "Alright… So I guess I'm gonna have to be the first to ask… what in the ever loving fuck are you and how do you shoot fire out a stick?" He said in pained bursts from his position on the ground.

"Not now Kenny. There's enough pain between you and Otis. We don't need your voice adding to that." She deadpanned, applying more healing powder to his leg.

"We? You mean you knew?" Kenny demanded, scowling at her.

"Yeah. She told us about three weeks ago. Look, I don't think right now is the best time to get into this. When you two are inside, then we can talk about it." The blonde said, trying to take at least some fo the attention off of Louise. She shot the pink haired girl a look that held sympathy for her unenviable position. Luke had moved closer to her, standing right beside her now.

The town, while some did indeed go to keep watch, the remainder continued to stare at the pinkette, unsure of how to processes what had just happened. All Louise could do at the moment was stare back, equally unsure how to respond, her headache pounding away inside her head, and her stomach starting to catch up to it in uneasiness.

...

It wasn't too difficult getting Kenny and Otis moved to Mitchell's infirmary room. Kenny limped, helped along by Pete, and Otis, after he was administered the antivenom, was able to be supported to a bed waiting for him as well.

Through it all, Louise simply sat on the couch in the living room. Her headache wasn't going away, if anything it was getting worse. She knew the ramifications of the events and how serious they were, but it was impossible to focus fully on them. Her throbbing pain felt like it was trying to become literal in the sense. She heard the pained groans coming from the infirmary not far from them as Mitchell went to work on the two men.

Didn't take the stares off her though. Even with two of their own injured, the pink haired girl was finding herself once again the center of attention for her explosions. Luke hadn't left her side thankfully. She must have been in shock earlier if she took it as well as she did. True, there wasn't much to be done but stare back, but now the reality of the situation was hitting her just as hard as her headache.

Everybody knew now. Her secret was out, and the fallout from that was coming. She knew it was inevitable if she wanted to stay here. Having that secret House could leverage over her was asking for trouble, and Kenny seemed determined to find out her story, and cause her no end of grief for doing so. And she knew that, realistically, there were worse ways for her magic to come out. Helping to defend from those horrid abominations hopefully would help her case.

Luke sat beside her, sighing. She was thankful he was beside her. Really, she felt closer to falling over than she liked...

"Well… this is it Louise. Your big reveal. Had to happen sooner or later right?" He asked rhetorically. Louise numbly nodded, rubbing her temples. Founder, this headache felt like it had access to a cheese grater. She sniffled, the motion irritating her pain even more.

"Don't worry, I'll still stand by ya. And so will Sunny, and Mitchell. Your not alone here."

She said nothing, continuing to hold her head in her hands. Her aching head was getting worse it felt like, and now the stress of this was making her stomach start to spin. She idly peeked through her fingers for a bucket in case she needed to throw up.

Mitchell had emerged from the room, closing the door behind him, leaving both of the injured men still lying on the bed."I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you all to leave." He said politely.

Chet seemed incredulous to the idea. "You can't be serious doc. She goes around slinging explosions, which she could have done this entire time? You expect us to just let this sit?"

"Yes I do." Mitchell said, his tone lowering considerably.

His sudden tone made the shopkeeper flinch, and step back. Despite his kindly nature, it was easy to forget that he had spent a life traveling the wastes before helping people in need. Said travel meant a lot of trouble along the way. Which he managed to overcome.

He sighed, his tone softening, but unyielding all the same. "I know you all have questions about Louise, and Sunny and Luke can answer them. It's getting too late for her already, and you all still have a night to get through. Not to mention the work of getting those bodies cleared out of the way. You better just save your energy for tomorrow. She ain't going anywhere, and I can assure you all at least this: she's not a threat. Now get." He said, his arms crossed.

The remaining adults, Trudy, Chet, and Kelly, the first of which made Louise nervous just thinking about what was going on her head, were forced to admit defeat. It was true. The second shift was just thrown out of whack, and they needed to get back on it. Sunny Pete, and Luke were likely going to be forced to take up another round. Louise doubted they would want her with them out there now anyway.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head slightly to see Luke smiling softly at her despite the tiredness in his eyes."Don't worry. Me and Sunny will try and get them smoothed out for ya. I got a feeling they got a lot of questions."

With one final look he got up and followed the rest out the door, eventually leaving Louise, Mitchell, Otis and Kenny in the house. Mitchell had closed the door behind them walking back to her."Well, very first watch and this happens. Can't believe you have this sorta luck. Don't go using my vigor testing machine now. I only got the one." He said, chuckling at his own joke trying to lighten the mood.

She didn't chuckle. Her head and stomach wouldn't allow it. Between two of the pains, there existed one thoroughly miserable girl.

"Ah, well. We got some explaining to do tomorrow." Mitchell said, another grating voice offering its own opine after he said that from withing the infirmary.

"You can count on that! I fucking _knew_ there was something-"

"Kenny, unless you want your mouth sewed shut as well, you'd do well to keep that language to zero while you're under my care!" Mitchell yelled back, and when there was no response Mitchell smirked, before turning back to the girl.

"Now… wait a minute... Louise you look a bit red. You feeling alright?" He asked, even as he put his hand to Louise's forehead, before it recoiled, a worried expression forming.

"Oh my, you're burning up. Louise what did you… Oh Mitchell, you old dumb son of a gun!" He half yelled to himself, quickly hobbling over to the infirmary, before coming back out, with a familiar looking plastic bag in hand.

"You used your magic so close to the weekly limit, how did I forget that with the damn things rocking my house?" He absently mindedly said, rolling up her sleeve, but as he did, Louise brought a hand to her mouth, swearing she felt something already in there.

"I… I don't feel good…" Louise barely got that out through the bile getting ready to spring from her mouth. She quickly got up and rounded the corner to the kitchen, finding the sink, and letting out a retch as the contents of her stomach were soon splattered inside the kitchen taste lingered, the smell was already making another round of vomit seem likely. She spat out the lingering offending substance, backing out of the kitchen, before she felt a pair of and grasp her by the shoulders and begin to drag her back to the couch.

"We don't have time to wait Louise, we need to get this Radaway applied right quick. And then-" He stopped his explanation as he fed the tube from the bag into her arm. His eyes were staring into hers, a fearful expression, more so than he already had passing in them.

"What?" She croaked out through the pain.

He hesitated before answering. "…nothing. Or not now. Just... we need to get this done."

She said nothing, her head pain grinding on. She just wanted this to end. She leaned her head on the arm rest of the couch, her eyelids weighed down.

...

 _She was crying, head in her hands, droplets of water stinging her cheeks and eyes._

 _She heard a scream. She crawled forward, dimly noting she was in a small hole with rocky. She stuck her head out_

 _The beast was large. Larger than anything else she had seen on this world yet. It stood on two legs, it's tail behind it_

 _So focused on the creature, she was utterly oblivious to the screaming coming from its massive hands with equally massive claws. It raised its hand over its head, and she could see it was holding a man wearing a green uniform it looked like. With one swift motion, it pulled with disturbingly little difficulty, it's hand in opposite directions, tearing the screaming man in half. It wasn't an aggressive pull either, just enough to make his torso and legs two different objects, his insides sliding onto the beasts tongue as it held it out and began lapping it up as a dog would do to water._

 _And then, it paused. Then, slowly, it turned it's head in her direction. It stopped, it's milky white eyes looking right at her._

...

Louise shot up in a panic, her head instantly reminding her why that was a bad idea as the pain returned to her now awake mind. She grit her teeth, sniffing as she did, shifting to a more upright position. Realization began to manifest, as she picked herself up from her sprawled position from the couch. She caught site of Mitchell not far from her, observing her as she came to.

"Ugh… how long was I out?" She groaned out, putting a single hand to her forehead.

"Only about ten minutes. I'd hazard a guess and say the Radaway is ready to complete it's process. Figured it wouldn't hurt to let you get at least some shut eye." Explained the doctor.

She hazily looked at him, before feeling the call of nature again, signaling the more unpleasant part of de-radifaction. Realizing that, she quickly went and did her business, and came back to the living room, sitting down once more

"Well, that was cutting it a bit close wasn't it? You were going on about 250 rads there. Not good for such a rad sensitive person such as yourself." He explained.

She nodded in agreement, the unpleasant sensations still having a phantom effect. A thought occurred to her."Doctor, was something wrong with me? I mean, you looked rather frightened when you looked at me."

He hesitated before answering. "Well… I don't want to alarm you but… there was something off about your eyes. They seemed… I dunno how to describe it exactly. Darker I suppose, and I got a shivers just looking at them. I think it was your magic acting weird."

She nodded, softly. The memories of that rather vivid dream."It must be. We never had to deal with radiation in Tristain, or any country. There's no records of what will happen when these two interact."

"If I had to guess, I'd say it might be some sort of… mutation." He said slowly and cautiously, worried that it might spook the girl badly with each word spoken."There are plenty of them, some subtle, some pretty obvious, and it's the only explanation I can think of as to why your magic is acting so off." He explained.

Louise bit her lip, hugging herself as gave his thoughts. It had occurred to her more than once. After seeing the ghoul corpse and knowing how far this radiation could affect some people, she couldn't deny that thoughts of her magic slowly changing weren't that outlandish. Didn't comfort her in the slightest about it though. "That… truly does seem the most likely scenario. When I first arrived her, my magic didn't change colors and I didn't get headaches when I used it. But, that was only a day and half before I got here."

"Might be because you used it a lot. You said you had to deal with some bugs, and we know that caused your rads to shoot up. And, did you say you attempted the spell that brought you here? That spells sounds far more more powerful."

"Yes… yes actually. That was when I first noticed the change. The Summoning Ritual is a sacred spell, one that is required for any mage. It was one I tried multiple times before I actually got here.. and that was my most successful spell..." She muttered.

"Hmm. Still feeling reluctant to go to House?" The doctor asked.

She wasted no time in responding. "Yes."

"Well, in any case, Otis wanted to talk to you. Said he just wanted to know what was up with you. He didn't sound all that mad or even offended, he just wanted to be filled in. Kenny on the other hand… well, we both knew this had to come sooner or later Louise. Might as well get started."

She sighed, all of the evenings sufferings carried on it. Otis, she was cautiously optimistic about. He had just confessed to having respect for her, so there was that. Kenny though, well an entire month of his declarations were just about to be proven true in some respects adding to an already near insufferable problem.

Nevertheless, she conceded to Mitchell's point. If she put off doing this now, then it would just be waiting for her tomorrow. Grunting in agitation at having to put up with Kenny again, she got up from the couch, and walked to the infirmary door.

…

She entered the infirmary, the faint smell of blood hanging on the air from the two injured men in the room. Their gazes both snapped to her as she entered and approached

"I just wanna say before you start spouting anything: I told you so!" He declared, a smug tone lining it. "I knew there was something off about you! I-" Kenny tried to continue, but Otis cut him off.

"Yes Kenny, I got that after the fifth time. And the sixth. And… well I tuned out the seventh and the rest after at." He deadpanned, rolling his eyes in the process. "But she saved our lives during the attack in case you forgot."

Kenny chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, after letting the both of us get chomped! I saw you freeze up. So much for protecting us, got us injured because she couldn't act more like."

"You know, Mitchell offered to show me how to stitch up unfortunate accidents Kenny. Want me to add another one to your mouth?" She lied of course, but the look her gave was worth it.

He frowned, making to get out of bed despite his still wounded leg."Now you listen here-" He began, but once again, the man beside him interrupted.

"Kenny, you're really not helping right now. All I want to know right now is her side of the story. Now look, I respect you, you know that, but earned her keep here, in case the charred corpses of the Night Stalkers slipped your mind. She's earned the right to speak for herself, so _let her_." Otis said, glaring at the wounded man in the bed next to him.

He looked back at her, nodding for her to let herself speak. "Well, where you like to begin?" She asked.

"To start, what exactly did you do?"

She sighed, wringing her hands in anticipation for the explanation. "Magic. Yes, I know, I know 'Magic doesn't exist' believe me. I've gone through that hoopla before with Sunny and Luke. But you both saw it. And I'm done lying about myself now. So there it is: Magic." She finished letting the information sink in.

Both men's eyes widened. Whatever they were expecting, clearly this was far from it.

"Well… then where are you from?" The balding man asked after a prolonged silence.

"I am from another world." She explained, the awkwardness of that statement still bothering her.

Kenny shook his head. "Bullshit. Magic, another world? You really expect us to believe this?"

"Would you care to come up with another explanation as to why I am so vulnerable to radiation then? I didn't come from a Vault remember?" She pointedly asked, and with a slightly smug tone, threw his own victory back in his face.

He scowled, but failed to come up with a point to counter hers."… fuck…" He said deflating.

Otis had been quiet, the revelations making for some funny reactions on "Okay, not gonna lie: I didn't see that one coming. But… I don't see any other explanation for the rad sensitivity either..."

"She could be a mutant. God knows there's stranger looking mutations in the wastes." He tried coming up with an alternative explanation.

"And that vulnerable to rads? Nah. Jeez, I see why you gave cover stories. That does sound pretty damn out there." He said, giving her a look of sympathy.

She bit her lip, not liking what she was about to say. "Well… there's more to it than that, and as much as it pains me to say it, you were right Kenny. There is someone after me. Mr. House."

Otis blinked in confusion. "Wait, House? How in the hell is he involved in all this?"

"When I showed Mitchell my magic, Victor saw it too. It didn't take much explanation from him to see why House likely knew about me as well given his connections to them."

"But why would this affect him? He's all the way in Vegas." The balding man asked.

"Clean world Otis? A green world untouched by nuclear war? What could he possibly see in that?" Kenny explained, his voice low and his eyes narrowed.

"…Oh shit." Otis said, realization coming over his face, and Kenny s as well.

"You little shit! You call me paranoid when mother fucking _House_ has his eyes on you? You should have told us that far FUCKING sooner!"

She glared at him, feeling a months worth of irritation with his man leak into her words. "I _would_ have, If some loud mouthed imbecile hadn't gone around saying that I should be thrown out! I wanted to tell you, I did! But I was nervous about revealing it too soon alright?"

"She has a point Kenny. You did come off a little aggressive towards her." Otis pointed out.

The man scowled. "I had concerns for this town, for the people in it! And I was right! She had the head of New Vegas after her and didn't tell us."

"She's telling us _now._ She could have kept a lid on that for a good while longer, but she didn't. Look, I get your concerns Kenny I really do, but honestly, I think you're overreacting. The girl has done nothing to hurt us so far, and she stuck her neck on the line for us. Why shouldn't we do the same for her?"

"And what's gonna happen when House decides to make a move? Why _should_ we stick our necks out for her?"

"We don't even know that he will, and she's one of us Kenny. We look out for each other."

"One of us? She goes on a few hunting trips, and one night watch, and now she's one of us?"

"Don't know if you noticed Kenny, but that's about as much as we do. She earns her keep, she buys her own medicine, and he just proved she's willing to truly put her neck on the line for us. Asking for more than that is unfair. As far as I'm concerned, she _is_ one of us. And I'll stick by her." He said, turning his head towards her for the very last part.

Kenny threw his one good arm up in the air in exasperation."Great… any more surprises we should be expecting from you? Any more like this one, and I'll boot your ass out all by my lonesome if I have to."

"No. Everything else I said about myself was true. Two sisters, parents, taken from my home, all of it. That really is it." She said. Neither men really seemed to question that thankfully. There wasn't much of a response other than glares from Kenny. "So… is that it then?"

"For now. Not much we can do now but sleep on it I guess. I think all of us would like nothing more than that right now." Otis said, yawning as he did, which soon spread to the other two present.

"I agree, but before we do, Kenny I want to make something perfectly clear: I have no ill intent for this town. I have no plans to attack, sabotage or otherwise harm the town or the people in it. Please, just understand that." She pleaded.

He didn't respond at first but when he did, there wasn't any anger or disgust, just a weary sigh."…. It was never what you _meant_ to do kid. It was what was following you." Was all he said, laying his head facing away from Otis and one final look between them, she left the infirmary.

...

She found sleeping that night difficult, despite her more tired than usual self. The nervousness of tomorrow haunted her just as bad as the images and sounds of those Night Stalkers did. Honestly, she wasn't sure how to take having those images and sounds being relegated to nightmares. More than once did the phantom pain of those fangs sinking into her flesh, and the ear splitting howling feel like it was to rupture her ears. She awoke with a start and sweat each time, before the weight of the next day weighed on her in her conscience moments before sleep. Finally, she managed to get an uninterrupted stretch before she found herself waking to the glow of morning.

Groaning at the less than ideal sleep, she got up from the couch. She checked up n Kenny and Otis before she made for breakfast. Not much new to report there. Both of them

It was when she started to dig in to some gecko meat that she heard the front door open, and soon found Sunny and Luke walking inside and soon sitting down next to her.

"Well, good news is, we got them smoothed out for you. We told them almost everything, except for House. Figured that would be best if you told them that. Don't worry, we'll be there with you when you do. I'd hazard a guess and say during the noon, when there are no more travelers about. Don't think we want anybody else getting on this, now do we?"

"As well as it could I suppose. Otis at least is on my side. Kenny isn't, though I hardly expected anything different." She said.

"Yeah figured he would. He's always had a stubborn jackass streak in him with certain things, and well, you did prove him right about being worried about you." He admitted.

Louise sighed at the echoed words from last night.

"Well, we know Mitchell, Luke and I will stick up for you. Otis sounds like a good inclusions to that list, and Kelly sounds like she's the most willing to hear your out of the remaining three. So if it comes down to a vote, I think your chances are pretty good of staying. Just be honest when the time comes Louise. It's not as hopeless or even as bad as you might think." Sunny said,

Louise could only hope that was true. There were reassuring looks on both of their faces, but still, worry still tumbled in her gut.

"And hey, those Night Stalker corpses are all mostly yours, well the ones intact enough are. We get to work cleaning them, and draining their blood for antivenom, your gonna be looking at some pretty good caps Louise. So there's something at least!" Luke said, trying to get at least something good out of this situation.

She tilted her head in thought. Well, the caps _did_ sound nice...

…

The morning job in the Saloon was the most unnerving since she could remember starting it. Trudy, and Chet, and Pete and Kelly, were inside, all of them looking like they had gotten even less sleep than she did. They all looked at her, clearly eager for answers from her own mouth. The only thing keeping that from happening was the fact that patrons had shown up surprisingly early today. While she didn't really question it too deeply at first, after all, it delayed the uncomfortable talk that was heading her way, she did idly wonder why they changed their patterns like this. She got her answer as she worked however, doing her best to keep her sniffling to a minimum, lest she irritate the patrons. She had flipped on her radio for another distractions, Harvey and Dani once again not present. She made a note to ask some travelers for them, when Mr. New Vegas begun to talk about a not too far removed event from last night.

" _A series of explosions were heard coming from Goodsprings during the night, sources from Primm say. It is unknown at the time of the local gang known as Powder Gangers made another attack on the settlement, or if it was just some spooked townsfolk letting loose on some iguana."_

Louise blinked in surprise. Already? She had no idea how Mr. New Vegas had heard about last night in Goodpsrings so soon. It was just barely half a day after the fact!She flicked off the radio on her Pip Boy, the report of the town, being the only thing she cared for at the moment.

"Yeah, we heard about that from another radio. I think Night Stalkers are a better reason than iguana. Jeez, what is up with the dangerous shit moving into this area? People always told us this area was a bit more tame, but between those wasps, Deathclaws and now Night Stalkers? At this rate, that shithole Nipton is gonna outpace Primm in growth. And that's even with the NCR annexing it." The traveler said.

"Annexing it? Really?" She asked, honestly surprised at this information. Last she heard they doing sweet FA, as Sunny put it, outside of Primm.

"Yeah well, things are finally moving around that town. Some guy, dark skin, scar on his forehead, apparently he walked all the way to the Mojave Outpost, and, well I don't know the details, but he did something that got the NCR off their asses at least. Though personally, I think ole Morrigan might have some other reason for going there."

"Morrigan?" Louise asked, interest in at least some idle conversation, even it was with a stranger.

"Commander Hank Morrigan. The Jackal Hunter. He was the man who lead the push eastward, and the one who saw the most action against this gang called the Jackals."

 _What was it with the people of this land naming themselves after animals?_ Louise thought.

"He saw a _lot_ of action during the push eastward, and even turned down promotions for high ranks so he could keep fighting on the front lines. He's not on Hanlon's level of legendary but he's done enough to earn a bit of a name for himself. More than that leg pisser Lee…" The first man grumbled, taking a swig of his drink.

"He was a sole survivor of a forward position during the push eastward against the Jackals. A whole bunch of them massacred an entire platoon, and he survived an hour and a half on his own before more soldiers arrived. Maybe the pieces about him are exaggerated, but still, holding your own against raiders for even half that time is impressive. And he was just a run of the mill trooper at the time. Still is actually, didn't want to become a ranger for some reason." He explained.

"You'd think they'd want someone like him here already. From what I understand, the NCR is having difficulties in this region, and any help would be welcome." She pointed out. Really, this competent of an individual in the NCR? Ridiculous.

The man snorted. "Yeah well, there's been rumors that the NCR higher ups don't want everyone to know just how bad things are here. This was supposed to be a simple mop up operation against the Legion, but between House stonewalling us, and the damn idiocy of 'Wait and See', we've sunk a lot more resources into this campaign then what was intended. I suppose sending a fairly well known figure like Morrigan out into the battle would be pushing it more than they would like. But if it's just to mop up The Lost, then I can see him getting at least this area to work with. Not that far in so they can spin it."

Her ears perked at the name, and she felt an urge to gulp.

"The Lost? They are a gang as well, are they not?" She asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yeah, a bunch of ingrates who didn't like what we did for them, got pissy over some taxes and a bit more rules probably. At least they ain't killed any civvies, I'll give em that much."

"Better than the Khans at least. Still, between killing our soldiers and stealing some motor bikes, they definitely deserve Morrigans ass kicking." The man said, the conversations moving more between them than her at this point.

Louise said nothing. The derision for Lorcan and his gang was obvious, not even worthy of radio reports from what she had heard. Still, having met the man himself, Louise wasn't sure that his reasons were so trivial. He sounded like he was personally wronged by the NCR, but not the extent that he was targeting civilians, just soldiers. Not exactly a decent person by that standard even, but still. And she had heard plenty of bad about the NCR to understand frustration with them, and doing something so idiotic to the point of inducing the rage she saw on him also wasn't that far fetched. She found herself a lot more willing to give Lorcan a chance than the NCR.

She kept quiet about that fact though. She had another person to worry about after all.

"By the way, have you seen a trader with a child by his side? Goes by the name of Harvey." She explained, hoping for an answer that had good news.

"Mmm. Can't say that I have. I did know that a caravan went missing by the hills by Primm. I did hear of a prospector settlement out that way, though I can't verify that."

She felt her spirits drop at the news.

She thanked them regardless, the rest of her shift marred by the nervousness she'd been feeling since midnight.

...

It was time. The last of the travelers had left the town, and sun continued to rise into the no more ears to listen on the matter of Loiuise Valliere, the pink haired mage soon found herself watching the towns people trickle into the Saloon. Sunny and Luke were the first, greeting her, a few more words of comfort. Next came in Otis, Kenny and Mitchell. Pete held the door open for the two, Otis walking in largely unhelped, while Kenny as being helped along by Mitchell. Trudy and Kelly were already inside, and the second to last to enter was Chet. Pete was the last one inside, joining the rest of them in the bar area as he closed the door behind him.

Louise felt her hands precipitate more at the sight of the entire town in front of her. This was it. She exhaled deeply in resignation."How much did Sunny and Luke tell you?" She knew the answer already, but she just wanted to start somewhere.

"That you're from another world, that was *magic* you were shooting." Oh how simple it sounded...

"Yes, that is the, mostly true story." The pink haired girl said.

"Mostly?" Trudy questioned, making a visible expression of distrust.

"I will explain that. I just want to know were we stand right now. What you think of this, and me." She said.

Chet shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to think. I mean magic? Seriously? This isn't a Grognak comic, there has to be another explanation for last night."

Pete seemed to shake his head. "Unless she's got grenades the size of pinheads coming out of that stick, I didn't see anything else she could have used to make those explosions. And even that doesn't explain the light show that went along with it."

"Yeah, you only ever see Glowing Ones do shit like that, and she doesn't look like she has see through skin." Kelly added.

Trudy said nothing the entire time, despite looking at the mage with utmost intensity.

"Trudy, thoughts?" Mitchell asked, getting her attention for a brief moment.

"Nothing right now." She bluntly said.

Kenny raised his good hand. "I would like it on record that I fucking called it. Knew there was something off about her." Kenny said, repeating his victory, causing more than a few visible eye rolls.

"Yes Kenny, we fucking know!" Sunny yelled.

"Kid, why didn't you just tell us this before? I mean, you have proof, why hide this? It's fucking weird don't get me wrong, but it's not exactly nothing people wouldn't adapt to. Trust me, I've seen people put up with some weird shit in my time." The woman, Kelly asked. Louise felt a smile tug at her lips for a moment. She rather enjoyed saying this particular information again.

"You all have Kenny to thank for that. I wanted to tell you, but then he goes around saying that I'm a threat that needs to be thrown out." She said, shooting a glare his direction.

He returned one of his own, snarling at her. Yeah yeah, I'm the big bad asshole calling out her brhamin shit! Why don't you tell them the real reason you didn't open your mouth?!"

She paused, taking a breath before she spoke. "Victor knows about this as well. And that likely means that House knows as well."

"House? _That_ House? Oh damn." Chet scowled, a worried look coming over him.

"But why would he be interested in her? Magic or no, Between the NCR and Legion at his borders, I'd think he'd have bigger things to worry about." Pete pointed out.

"You mean the possibility of getting access to a green world wouldn't be inciting?" She asked.

That got everybody silent. Looks of worry spread like fire throughout the group, even the ones who knew about her beforehand couldn't help but share similar sentiments.

"Yeah… that would something worth pursuing."

"So what the hell are standing here for? Let's just boot her out and be done with it!" Kenny demanded, taking a step forward.

"That isn't happening Kenny." Said Sunny, stepping forward slightly as well

"Who gave you the right to decide that?" The wounded man shot back.

"And who gave it to you? Look, I think she should stay. We did the same thing for Ringo when he needed help, and that Courier."

"This isn't isn't some group of thugs we're talking about here, it's House. You know, the man with a fucking army of robots? We don;t stand a chance against that. Best thing to do is to get rid of her, so we don't get involved with her troubles." He stated, garnering thoughtful looks.

Mitchell however, brought up a point of his own. "Has anyone considered the fact that it might be too late for that?"I hate to bring it up, but like it or not, we're too involved with her for just walking away to be an option right now."

"What? What are talking about?" Kenny demanded.

"What I mean is, we all know House has a ruthless streak. Who's to say he won't just hold us at gunpoint until Louise turns herself in to him?" Mitchell asked, his calm tone being more eerie than anything.

The idea sent uneasy looks throughout the group. Sensing a chance, Louise spoke up."He is right. Where I come from, taking Nobles hostage is a good way to get the family members to do what you want. Even If I leave, who's to say he won't try something like that with Goodsprings?" She weighed in with her own personal knowledge.

Kenny huffed in disbelief. "Even if he does, how can be be sure you would even care enough to come back?"

"Because I do!" She yelled "I'm not some heartless cretin who's just going to sit by while people get threatened by me. I would come back." She stated, staring down the man, before speaking again. "And if you _wish_ to look at it pragmatically, Goodpsrings is my best option. There's nowhere else for me to go that could suit my needs better." She huffed.

"What about Primm? I hear the problems over there have been sorted out. Even the NCR is gonna be watching over that town." Kelly inquired.

"That's my point. I don't want to get the NCR's attention either. They sound like a nation of meddlers, and a green world would be just as enticing to them as to House. I still need to work on my magic and how could I do that with them watching that town? I think they would eventually get suspicious of the explosions. My world doesn't have the guns and lasers yours does. If they get to it, I'm worried about will happen. Same thing with House and his robots." Louise explained, a surprising number of understanding looks passing through everyone.

It was Pete who nodded in agreement fully. "That _is_ a good point. They see what she's capable of she could very well find herself 'volunteered' to join them. Something like this could warrant such actions, and we know they aren't above dirty deeds." Pete said, making Louise grimace. Only an idiot would let themselves be conscripted when there were other options available. She felt a sense of shame for some reason, but shrugged it off. She wasn't fighting on their damn front!

"Still, we wouldn't have to worry about any of that if we just kick her out." Kenny continued pushing his position.

"And that's still not happening Kenny. She's right. This place is her best hope, so she has incentive to fight for it, which she just proved she will. I'm throwing her out bases an what _could_ happen." Luke shot back at his mentor.

"Louise… what exactly did Jodie sense about you?" She asked suddenly getting everyone elses attention.

Louise looked at her with surprise at the question. "What?"

"What did she say? She looked downright horrified when I saw her last."

"I… I don't know. I really don't. Maybe my magic startled her, and she wasn't expecting to find another. All mages have at least some mental powers. It's how we communicate with our familiars after all. The best theory I have that it might be mutating, because my magic has been acting off for a while now." She listed off, before being interrupted by Kelly.

"Wait, familiars, mental connections what?!" She heard Kelly ask before Trudy waved her off.

"Later. What did she say about _you_?" She asked, her eyes boring into Louise.

Louise felt her mouth a little at this. She still remembered what she said. All of it. She knew very well of her reputation for accurately predicting thing and, if she were serious about about gaining their trust, then telling them that would very well spell be the right move to make.

And yet, Louise found herself hesitating a great deal over telling them. If she did, just how badly would that affect her chances of staying, potentially even leading to her expulsion from the town? And she thought back to that dream she had... she wasn't in the town. She was out in the wastes, the wild. If that woman could see into the future... she couldn't deny the doubts she had from it. Her desire to tell the truth in full was strong, and yet, the fear was stronger if it went sour. She felt herself freeze for just a second before telling, at least a half truth, almost as if something else made her speak.

"She said, that I would be 'thrown into the wild' alright? After you said that whatever she predicated came true..." She trailed off, not meeting the older womans gaze. though she did hear a faint 'oh' from her, but she felt another question coming from her before a certain man interrupted again.

"Well, maybe we should…" Kenny suggested.

At that, Otis spoke up, moving to stand closer to Louise. "Kenny, stop. If you wanna throw her out, you'll be doing alone, cause I ain't gonna help with that. Yeah, she lied, but what she supposed to do with you harassing her? She told us now, and in case you all forgot, she fended off Night Stalkers! She probably prevented anything worse than happening than what did, and I'm not gonna be the one who tosses her out. I'm giving her a chance." He finished

She saw her chance. She needed to make her intentions clear right this moment. "That's all I'm asking for: A chance. I truly do not know what will come, and I understand that my, origins may cause trouble. What I want you to know is that I will stand with you. Think me doing for it selfless or selfish reasons, but understand that I _will_ stand beside you. That is all I can promise, but it's one I will fulfill."

The silence afterwords Louise judge whether it was good or bad, but at least she made an impact regardless. "I say we vote." Mitchell said, breaking the silence. There was look shared between the group before they all nodded. "All in favor of letting her stay?" At once, she saw Sunny, Luke, Mitchell, and Otis raised their hands. Pete, after a moment of looking at her, raised his as well, and after a few more tense moments thought, Trudy did as well. That just left, Kenny, Kelly, Chet in the minority, well before Kelly raised her hand, leaving just the two alone. Louise let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding as she saw the results.

"Looks like that's that. She's staying." Mitchell stated, a grin obvious on his features.

Her eyes locked onto Kenny for his reaction, surprisingly finding one not of anger, but of a tired resignation, defeat."…fine. But if anything happens because of her, I'll climb up everyone's house every morning, and shout 'I told you so' like a fucking rooster."With that, Kenny began hobbling away best he could, presumably off to fume somewhere.

Louise could scarcely believe it. An entire month of agonizing over this, her reveal had for the most part been resolved! She felt a daze come over her slightly, and anger begin to well in her chest. This entire time, it could have been resolved so much easier if that man hadn't been such a pompous ass, she could have ended this far sooner!It was through a combination of relief, lingering fear, and irritation over the events and thought of the past minute that made the pinkette to utter her first swear word. "...Fuck off Kenny…" She instantly put a hand to her mouth in mortification, hoping that it was just her that heard it. The laughter from Sunny, a few giggles from Otis, and the hobbling man looking back at her told her it wasn't soft enough.

...

 **Ugh. This chapter was an absolute pain to write! And to top it all off, I'm delaying the finale for about one more chapter. I feel I need to expand on Louise's magic and the effect it could have and generally have the people really come to terms with it the next chapter. That, and I wanted to get** _ **something**_ **out.**


	14. A Clean Face XIII

Louise still couldn't quite believe that the reveal of her origins would go as smooth as it did. It was the only thing that lingered longer than the embarrassment of letting loose a swear in front of many people, and having the person it was meant for to hear it as well. Founder above, did she truly just say that!? She could feel the imaginary glare from her mother as if she were right next to her, another world be damnned. She could feel her cheeks heating up from the stares and giggles around her.

Still, despite her own feelings the most Kenny did was intensify his glare before roughly opening the door and limping out, Mitchell rolling his eyes and gesturing for Otis to follow him as he too limped out after Kenny, the wounded balding man giving Louise a smile before exiting as well. It seemed to be the case for most of the others as well. Despite looking still a bit like questions lingered don't their minds, most of the others left as well. Most just being Chet and Pete. After those two left, she heard Luke sigh.

"Thank fuck that's over. I was getting sick of having Kenny constantly pester me about you. " Luke said, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as if a heavy load was taken off his back.

"Tell me about it. Last thing this town ever needed was drama." She said with an equal amount of relief.

Louise shook her head, a part of her still not truly believing what just happened. "Is that truly it? All this time, I thought it would be far worse than that."

"Well, what else can we do? Not much but accept it and move on, just like you had to do when you found out that this isn't your world. Life goes on, people gotta eat, mutants scratching at the door, you get the point. The decision's been made, and now there's nothing left to do but just to take it as is." Sunny pointed out.

"…I suppose. But I have distinctly less control over that. They have far more control over me. I thought for sure everyone would be far more inclined to just throw me out. Or at least, give it more consideration."

"Well, they're not. You're really sad that they aren't?" Sunny asked, half rhetorically, half serious.

She didn't really, she knew this was what she wanted and had hoped for intensely after all. It was just the exasperated shock still lingered from the anticlimax. She felt lik ssaying more of her internal doubts, but Sunny stopped her before she could even start.

"It's over and done with Louise. At least, mostly. Still gotta wait on House doing something. If he does. Then we can worry about it again. Until then, just take it one day at a time. Nothing more any of us, you included, can do."

She looked between them, both having expressions that conveyed a sense of finality. Despite her own lingering feelings, she let out a sigh, and nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, me and Luke gotta finish cleaning up those Night Stalkers. You're lucky most of them are as intact as they are. Luke's right, between their blood, tails and meat, you're going to be sitting pretty well in caps." Sunny said.

Well, there was a comforting thought she supposed. Now that it was in the open, she realized that she could finally begin looking into ways to get her magic to send her back home in full now. She was far from accomplishing that for now,

With a wave goodbye, both adults exited the saloon. That just left Louise with Trudy and Kelly, the former having her own look of disbelief, albeit far more minor.

"So, that was the big secret this whole time? Not gonna lie, I was expecting something far different than what I got." Trudy said shaking her head. "Still, nice to finally know why Jodie acted the way she did."

"Yes. You did say she predicted things with a perfect accuracy. When she said that… you can see why I was hesitant to come forward."

"Well… that's true. Suppose I didn't do any favors with my attitude did I? Damn near shut you out completely. That wasn't right of me. I'm sorry for that. I should have handled it better."

"It's alright. That whole situation was an absolute mess of obstacles. I can understand being wary. I'm sorry for hiding it from you." She began an apology but Trudy waved it off.

"No, I was the one making difficulties there. I could have ended it far sooner than I did, but… fuck. I was too hung up on Jodie to do anything but let that fester. Don't blame yourself kid. I had more than a little do with it. Let's just.. try to do better from now on, alright?"

Louise nodded in agreement, happy that things had been going well so far, especially with Trudy."…Well what happens now?" Kelly asked, all three looking between each other.

Trudy shrugged. "Now… I suppose Louise still has work to do. Dishes to be washed, floor to be swept. This has been a fascinating revelation, but we got stuff to do." Trudy reminded her. Of course. Daily trivalites would not go away would they?" She asked rhetorically.

"If it's alright, I wouldn't mind talking to her a little bit more." Kelly suggested.

The mage blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Kelly nodded. "I have a feeling there's gonna be a que for you later. I wouldn't mind getting a head start on everyone else."

Louise couldn't deny that. She knew she would have to deal with even more questions later. Sunny, Luke and Mitchell were the only ones she ever talked about herself with. Now with her secret out, she didn't deny that the idea of expanding that appealed to her. "…Very well." Louise said, her decisions made. She seemed friendly enough at least. Louise really only considered her a friendly associate, she talked to her less that she did Otis. She didn't even know where she came from. But more important to her, was just how well she was taking this. Trudy, well, she had a seer for a friend so in a way, Louise probably seemed a bit mundane to her. Not that she minded that. Still, she was curious as to why she seemed more accepting of her than others.

"You seem to be taking this a lot better than the rest of the people here." Louise said, airing her observations.

"Yeah well, like I said, people can learn to live with weird shit if given enough time. Trudy had to live with a girl who could see into the future, I've had to live with my own share of weirdness, or at least, atypical stuff growing up. I've seen some things in my short time.' Kelly explained, Trudy seemingly shrugging in agreement, picking up the dishes that had been left since the last of the travlers left.

"That includes a girl from another world with magic?" Louise asked sarcastically, as she walked over to the closet got the broom and started sweeping the tracked in dirt.

"For a woman who's spent a lot of time with talking Glowing One and Super Mutant, yeah, I would say that's actually easy digest." She replied casually. "Okay, maybe not _as_ weird as Trudy's friend or you, but to most people, that doesn't really come up, now does it?"

Louise's ears perked at the terms used by Kelly. She'd heard the first one a few times, but not the second one. 'Super Mutant'. So hybrid snake coyote things don't count as super? She shuddered to imagine what did. She decided to focus on the first one for now. "I suppose not. I've heard the term 'Glowing One' a few times before. What does that mean?"

"It means a ghoul that's absorbed so much radiation that they started to, well, glow. Looks really cool in the dark actually, you can see their bones and everything. Not only that, but they can actually channel radiation, sort of like you can do with your magic. Not nearly as far ranged or versatile, but in the mind of a clever enough one, it can be just as dangerous."

"I've only seen one other ghoul in my time here, and it barely looked like it could run without snapping it's legs off." She replied, perhaps a bit too dismisivly if the mixed amused and irritated look she got as any indication.

"Don't let them hear you say that. They usually have enough muscle to slap people that say that to them. Anyway, his name was, Laurel. I was part of a caravan group, always on the move, traveling place to place, way down south by south west of the Mojave. We ran into him one night when were ambushed by a group of tribal raiders. We were pretty outnumbered that night, and I was sure our entire group was going to be decorating their homes the next day."

"Suddenly they all start screaming, not like they were before, they sounded genuinely horrified and soon they all ran off. Well, we soon found out why, when this glowing green ghoul, bare fucking naked, comes running yelling and waving his arms around like crazy. And yes, I can confirm that ghoul men still count as such in the way that matters." She said chucking, enjoying the look that passed on Louise's face. She truly did not need that image taking up valuable space in her head.

"Anyway, after that, he introduced himself, and a lot of talking ensued which I won't bore you with. Suffice to say, he offered to be a guide in the area. We lost our normal route to deathclaws making a nest in the area so we gave it a wide berth just to be sure. Didn't realize we'd bump into tribals that far down. A lot of us, myself included, were not fond of the idea of having a ghoul with us. Now, while I don't condone bigotry against them, the main reason there is in the first place, is that normal ghouls could go feral. And he was a Glowing One. A walking radioactive conduit that could burn anyone alive if he so choose to do so. Add in the healing factor from his constant rads, and you have a good reason to have him close by in case he lost it."

"Feral? They lose their minds?" She asked, picking up the dustpan and dumping it's contents into a can by the door.

"Yep. That's really the only thing they have to worry about. Technically, as long as any ghoul gets food and water, they can live for a long time. Laurel himself was alive before the Great War." She explained.

"I didn't talk to him at first. I mostly just kept my mouth shut and kept trudging on. The tribals in that area never bothered us once with him though. Every time they saw him, they took off. I admit, despite my fears, I got curious enough to talk to him and… Christ. You really get thankful that you never lived through the War and the days after. So much knowledge of the Old World too, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who gives enough of a shit for it." Kelly explained, a very visible look of sadness on her face.

Louise truly thought about what she had said. She had though House was the only one to be able to live that long on this world, but now she was just finding out that other did so as well, and unlike House, didn't have a true sanctuary. What was it like she wondered, to live through such a thing, the thought of the world ending and the chaos of the days afterword sending a shiver down her spine. She made a note to ask about that later for purely curiosity sake, but she didn't want to interrupt Kelly right this moment.

"Despite the mistrust he got, Laurel proved himself time and time again. Prevented us from walking into a minefield, steered us clear of large mutant nests, radioactive hotspots, kept the tribals away. And you'd be surprised how he learned to use his natural gift. Seriously, a saw his leg almost severed, but by the next day, it was damn near back in running condition. Day after that, it was. And there was that time he spat water onto someone's face. Yeah, you don't fuck with a guy that could make your face and eyes melt with radioactive water." She said, laughing at her own memories, though Louise had a horrified look on her features.

Kelly didn't seem to care. "Well, that's a little about me, I talk anymore and I'm bound to ramble for the rest of the day about him, but Im here for you. Mind pitching in on this conversation?"

She blinked away the remaining looks of horror. She still had to fulfill her end of the conversation. "Well, my full name is Louise le blanc de la Valliere. I was a student at the Tristain Magical Academy."

"A magical Academy huh? That was a common thing then? Magic?"

"Well sort of. In my world, magic was a sign of Nobility. A sign that we were chosen by our Founder, Brimir, to rule over the magic-less commoners."

"Wait, you didn't keep them as slaves did you?" She asked unsure, making the pink haired girl look aghast. Even if she had heard similar thoughts from Sunny and Luke before, it still made her offended by the idea.

"No. It was a system designed to protect commoners. There are beasts on my world just as here, and it was their job to protect the commoners under their care. I admit, there were some who chose to abuse and sully their title. Believe me, I've heard my parents voice their complaints about such people. But they took their code of Nobility seriously. Can you deny the same for the other ruling factions?"

Kelly looked like she wanted to say something, but then appeared to think about what she said and then closed her mouth and shrugged in acceptance. She likely had the NCR to thank for that didn't she?

"Yeah good point. Well, what about you specifically? Got any family?"

"Two sisters, a mother and father. I can only imagine how they must be..." She said, unable to fully keep her despair out of her voice.

"Ah, shit sorry for bringing them up."

"It's alright. I've gotten better about it. I just want to get started on perfecting my magic so I can go home. Do not feel like you need to step on eggshells around me. I got myself into this, and I must get myself out of it."

"Well, speaking of which, what happened to send you here? You said something about a 'summoning ritual' ritual before. Was that it?"

"Yes. The familiar summoning ritual. That was to be the day I was to summon my familiar. To put an end to my 'Zero' status. I was a failure of even bigger proportions than was thought imaginable, as the results show." She dryly stated.

"Is that were your mental power came in? Controlling your magic?"

"Well, yes. I suppose even without that we would still count as such. How else would we be able to bond with our familiars?"

"Yeah...you mind explaining that just a bit?"

"Well you see, a familiar is an animal a mage summons to be their. The familiar runes..." Louise began explaining.

* * *

...

The conversation continued for a fair while afterwords. Louise had explained some things about her home, and vice versa. For her, it was mostly a repeat of talking points she had with Suunny, Mitchell and Luke. By now, she had explained Elves, airships, potions, and golems. But she had managed to learn something new about this world from Kelly. Something that was actually quite familiar to her.

"…You have to be kidding me…" Louise said, shaking her head in disbelief. It just couldn't be, it was too similar!

"Nope!" Kelly exclaimed, beaming.

"…Orcs… there's orcs on this world?"

At that, the look disappeared and her face scrunched in confusion. "Orcs?"

"Yes. Big green dumb brutes with a penchant for violence? Those are orcs."

"No, those are super mutants. I spent around six months with one so I think I know one when I see it." She said.

Louise shook her head in disbelief. Out of all things this world could have shared with her, why orcs? They were already a fairly dangerous nuisance. Rapid breeders, an always animalistic and aggressive nature. She'd heard a few stories from mother about villages overrun with them, so she knew what they were capable of when they got together in groups. And now the ones here can use guns. Lovely…

"Trust me, Hardy wasn't the brightest around, and actually he himself said that others tended to have better faculties than him, but considering I met him with a bayoneted gun rammed right through his thigh and out the other side, and him not giving a single solid fuck about it, he certainly earned that name. I think only he noticed it after I pointed it out to him. Still fired amazingly as well."

She chuckled. "Oh man, him and Laurel got along swimmingly, even if they did like to bicker with each other. Between that ghoul and super mutant, I had a pretty damn safe time traveling, even if I had to leave the two out of more than a few towns. They weren't exactly welcome in a lot of them"

"I thought the NCR had laws protecting ghouls and super mutants. They had expanded down that far by then right?" Trudy questioned, having returned in the middle of Louise's explanation of the familiar runes

"They do. But just because they're protected, doesn't mean people will approve of them. Especially super mutants considering their past." Kelly said. Not much more than however. Louise's dose of Rad-X was starting to near it's end. She had to excuse herself, but Kelly had mentioned about setting up a sort of dinner to help everyone calm down over Louise. And it would be a good bonding thing, for all of them to talk it over. Louise didn't see why not. Not one had she truly had such a thing with everyone else, preferring to eat alone in Mitchell's house, Sunny and Luke being the only visitors really. It was decided then. She would eat with the town.

* * *

...

Well, that had been an informative talk. Louie had certainly found out more about his world. Super mutants… orcs. Granted, from what Kelly had informed her of, they actually were capable of rational actions, even being friendly. Still, orcs. It would take more than just Kelly's word, even if she did trust her. Maybe if she truly met one… but she highly doubted she would.

She entered Mitchells house, kicking off her shows and plopping right down on the couch letting out an exhausted sigh. Founder above these past few hours had been taxing on her mentally. She lay on the couch for a few more minutes, her body greatly appreciating just being able to relax for a few moments. Between last night and dreading the big talk, she felt like just forsaking the medicine altogether. Well not really. A passing idle thought in a fit of irritation, nothing more.

She knew she had to see Mitchell regarding her rad-X supplies. She still should be good for about two more weeks. She faintly heard him inside the infirmary talking to one of the patients hoping it was the bighorner behind, as Sunny put it.

Hearing a hobbled series of footsteps and craned her neck to see who it was, and in an instant wishing she hadn't.

It was Kenny. She didn't groan, though she got better at suppressing that particular urge whenever she saw him, but she did let out a huff regardless.

Kenny for his part just rolled his eyes and walked a bit closer to her before sitting down in a chair across from her.

"What do you want?" She asked, trying to avoid anything more than being slightly terse.

He didn't say anything at first causing her to fidget nervously in his presence. She brought herself to a sitting position, unsure of what to make of this before her spoke.

"…Do you want to know how I lost my first home?" He asked, his lack of his usual annoyed tone when talking to her worrying her more than any amount of hostility from him.

She didn't answer, but he continued regardless. " One day, this girl comes into town, all bloodied, bruised, barely alive, missing teeth. Looked like she was pregnant too. It didn't much of anything to get people to take her in, myself included. We were cautious of her, but... fuck. She needed our help." He said, clenching his fists for a moment.

"I was only around what 19 at the time, I knew the dangers of the wastes, we all did. But... she had a way with words, ya know. Wouldn't stop crying and sobbing, and we weren't heartless bastards. We took her in." He explained, giving a rather pointed look towards the petite girl across from him.

"I talked to her a lot. Said she missed her family, that she would probably never see them again. Could barely even get that out without breaking into sobs. And I comforted her, told her all sorts of kind words." He didn't give any visible tells, but even then Louise could taste the sheer bitterness in his tone, one unmatched by the most foul of poisons.

"But then, a few days later a fire breaks out near our armory, and while everyone was distracted with putting it out, that's when a raider group attacked us. I think you know that was a trap. She was a raider that entire time, started that fire, and made us vulnerable at just the right time for them to hit us. I'm pretty sure my parents were the first to die, I vaguely recall seeing my dad's chest burst open and mom was right next to him. There's no way the timing of that attack was an accident, I knew who played a part in it." He explained, his eyes staring through Louise, flicking towards unseen sights. He seemed to blink them away, though his voice seemed to hitch as he approached his next subject.

"And I had her. Right in my sights, finger on the trigger. But…" He paused before a heavy sigh carrying an audible shame worthy of any glare her mother could cause.

"I couldn't do it. Bitch slaughtered my family, burned my home… and I couldn't do it. I froze. She ran off… and I ran away. Like a fucking coward, I ran. " He said, voice cracking slightly, his eyes glazing again, the look on his face one of true and utter self loathing. Despite her own disposition towards the man, garnering pity from the pink haired mage.

But she didn't quite see what this had to do with anything. "I do not understand what this has to do with me. What point are you even trying to make?"

He blinked away his memories, refocusing his ever present disdainful look to towards her. "My point is… what if it comes down to that kid? Hm? You think you can just follow some orders, that killing a person will be just as easy as the animals you killed, no matter how right it might be? It won't be, and not just saying cause of how I feel about you, I'm talking from experience. Will you really be to just kill another person?"

"…I will. Just like I have said before, I will stand with you, even if others cause us trouble." She felt hesitation, but she wasn't going to back down now. Not when she had made those claims.

He shook his head. "Everyone says that. Everyone thinks that before they actually do it. Me included… And I still couldn't do it. I live with that every day kid. I vowed to never to let something like that happen ever again. And now… here comes a girl in need of help, who I actually know for sure will drag us into trouble. And everyone just fucking votes to let her stay. No one in this town deserves to die for you. All I hear from Luke is how I should 'give you a chance'. Christ, that boy goes on about you. I don't think he realizes just how much you still have to learn. Seriously, what the hell makes you think shooting animals makes for a good chance against people?" Kenny began, but Louise had crossed the point of putting up with this long ago. She was sick of beating a dead horse.

"I get it! You're worried about this town. We've been over this so many times, I am not going to repeat myself after this one last time: I will stand by this town. I will stand by the people here, and I will fight along side you!"

He didn't say thing. With an eerie calm he leaned forward looking her right in the eyes. "…We'll find out one day kid, and when that day comes… well, I hope you can pull through for everyone else sake. If not, well, I just hope the truth hitting Luke doesn't isn't at muzzle velocity."

With that, Kenny got up from his chair, walking to the infirmary and closing the door behind him.

Louise sat on the couch in silent contemplation, until Mitchell exited the infirmary.

* * *

...

It was an uneventful second shift at the Saloon, just a regular day of serving patrons coming and going, already having made some extra profit on Night Stalker Blood on top of her regular wages. It was good money, a hundred and fifty caps, and that was just a little bit of blood! But given how feared the hybrids were, she had no trouble imagining the demand for it. Apparently, it was also quite effective at treating Hunter venom as well, so that would also help in getting some mercs to help clear out those pests to the north. Louise couldn't help but feel her spirits lift. She could already nearly afford another dose of Radaway.

So she continued working the shift at the saloon, listing to the Pip Boy radio. The only other thing of note was hearing that Hank Morrigan had apparently arrived in the Mojave proper now. Last heard heading away from the Mojave Outpost and... towards Primm? That wasn't too far away from here. What could an important NCR man like that want out here? She should bring this up later. Something about this wasn't sitting right for her. She knew of the NCR's track record. Sending someone that skilled in places it needed him didn't happen much. Cynical on the NCR in her eyes maybe, but she wasn't the only one.

She had just finished her work, flicking the radio off as she spotted Kelly laying out bowls on the bar counter. She did mention putting forth a lunch, a chance for Louise and the town the further clear the air between the, earlier, and when she returned from her house carrying what looked to be a large pot, with Trudy bringing out a smaller one not far behind her. They set them down on pieces of cloth, as Trudy set to work laying out spoons and bowls.

Louise approached, the scent growing in intensity, the spice and the heat already making her eyes water slightly as they hit her face. She stepped back slightly, the intensity of it surprising her.

"Too strong for ya already? What, never had chili before?" She asked, chucking at the sight.

"I hardly see the point in eating something that causes you pain…" She said, sarcasm lacing her tone. She'd never even heard of this 'chili' but she was never one for food that had this many spices in it.

Kelly didn't seem to notice it, instead "Well, I guess this will be something new tonight, don't ya think?"

She grumbled. She helped Kelly set the bowls and spoons out

"Just try it. If you don't like it, you're free to quite any time. It does have gecko meat in it. I know how much you like that."

She blushed slightly. Even a month in, and she was still scaring down the meat of those creatures as fast as when she started. Mitchell had probably said something of the sort to others. If it wasn't medical information, he could be a bit loose lipped sometimes. Still, she couldn't deny that it was more temping now. Perhaps she would give this 'chilili a try…

It was just as they finished the last of the arrangements for the meal that others had started coming in. First among them was Pete, tipping his hat them as he took a seat. Next was Chet, eyeing Louise, but not angrily or distrustful. He may have voted against her, but he didn't seem nearly as sour about as Kenny was. Speaking of that man, he walked in soon as well. It was saying something that all other occupants in the room immediately tensed as they traded their now usual glares at each other.

He merely grunted and sat down, choosing the furthest chair away from her. Fine by her. Otis and Mitchell were not far behind him, the former opting to sit away from the doctor despite his shoulder injury. Lastly, Sunny, Cheyenne and Luke wandered in.

"I hope you two washed yourselves off good."

"Yeah, yeah don't worry I did." He lackadaisically waved her off.

"We're almost done with them. Just got two more to go and that should be it. We'll probably even be able to wrap it up before bed if we eat fast enough." The blonde woman explained

Luke walked over, taking a seat right next to Louise. It was comforting to be sure, but actually having dinner with the rest of the town for the first time was certainly awkward, especially so given recent events. No one really knew what to say to get the inevitable barrage of questions started it seemed. Oh, there was questions for sure, but she guessed the whole 'another world' thing had finally struck them. All of them looked at their food and the counter it sat on than her, giving a good number of betraying glances though.

Kelly had been scooping out chilli for everyone, and soon Louise found a bowl full of it in front of her.

"Well come on Louise. Give it a try." Kelly urged.

She looked down at the slightly steaming assembly of meat, what looked to be some sort of peppers, and thick soup. She already felt the increased attention on her, so in an effort to bond, she picked up a spoonful of it and put it in her mouth.

The sensation of flavor hitting her made her eyes widen in ecstasy. Her eyes watered, her nose ran slightly, but the flavor... oh Brimir the taste was unlike anything she had ever had, the meat of the gecko mixing to make a vibrant, succulent, ecstasy filled mouthful of flavor.

It was just a shame that she only tasted it for a split second before the searing pain of the peppers decided to add hot iron to her tongue.

"Ah, ah ah ah ah! Haaat!" She said, frantically trying to fan her mouth, waving her hands like a deranged madwoman, her pained squawks and frenzied look in her eyes not doing much to distance herself from that comparison.

She heard laughter around her, the others unable to truly hide their amusement at the scene. The only consolation was that her face couldn't get any more red.

Kelly handed her a bottle of what looked like milk. Not really caring that where she got it from, she quickly grabbed it and began guzzling down the cool liquid, the burning sensation subsiding considerably after that. She finished off the entire bottle, slamming it down, gasping at the lingering pain on her tongue. There were still giggles from the adults gathered and… was that a grin on Kenny's face?

"What, they don't have spicy food where you come from?" Luke asked, grinning like a madman, but not missing a beat on getting conversation started, even as he took a spoonful of pure torture like it was nothing.

"We do, but it was never my preference. And it was never like that! Founder! I'll be luck to taste anything again!" She exclaimed. Melodramatically perhaps, but she was the one with the burnt tongue darn it!

"Well, I just wanted you to give it a try. I made a smaller batch of non spicy chill for you, just in case." Kelly said, opening up the smaller pot and soon there

"So, this Founder person. He's like your God, right? I was wondering why you kept saying that." The balding Otis asked.

"Well yes. His real name was Brimir. He was the Founder of our magical system over 6000 years ago, hence the name He was the one who gifted magic to us Nobles." She explained. There were quite a few apprehensive looks as she explained her faith, and she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of offense. She knew it wasn't right to hold them responsible, but still. She felt her old habits flare up.

"Huh. Never was one for any religion. Not that Pre War stuff, or any kooky hullabaloo by tribals. After I saw the Elvis worshipers, they'd probably do something like worship John Henry and his golden spike, well, if the NCR didn't take it." Mitchell said. Louise raised an eyebrow at what he said, specifically 'Elvis'. Elvis? Was that some sort elven god? Bah, what was she thinking? These people had no concept of elves after all. Speaking of which.

"He was quite real, I assure you. You can ask the elves, assuming they don't kill you the moment they see you."

Out of all the people present, the last one she was expecting to react the most was the merchant of the group. "Elves? For real? Pointy eared people, usually have blonde hair, really powerful magic. That sorta thing?" Chet asked.

Louise snapped her head to look at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "Yes… that is correct. How did you know?"

"Grognak the Barbarian comics are full of em! Well, one issue was at least. So, you got things like, dragons, harpies, and griffins in your world?" The merchant continued.

Louise was sure her jaw would have smashed through her bowl if she were surprised anymore.

"Yes! How… how could your people know of these creatures? We come from different worlds! How!?" Oh Founder, maybe this Elvis really was an elven god! And he had, no, has, heretical followers!

She shook her head, silently berating herself. She was getting ahead of herself here. Chet just said they were fictional characters here... still 'Elvis'. That name sounded appropriate for a vengeful elven spirit... "I don't know. They weren't even written in a time where such things could really happen, unlike these days. I think they're more just mythology of our old world. But, you really had to put up constant dragon, and monster attacks on a daily basis? It's been a while since towns in this area have been hammered that hard."

Oh... good. It really was a misunderstanding then. Louise let out a s mall sigh of relief. "No. Mages, or at least ones worth their salt, are more than capable of placing protective charms and spells around village, and the same would make patrols in and around commoner villages in their area. Eventually, they learn to steer clear lest they provoke their wrath. That was the whole point of the Noble Commoner system. It was our duty to protect them. And my family took that code seriously. My mother was capable of sending hesitation into even the most berserk of dragons…"

She trailed off, memories of home deciding to make their presence known again.

"…So, the grown women ran around with hardly any clothes on?" He asked.

Louise blinked before whipping her head to look at the man who asked that question, the rest of the people present doing so as well. "… _what!?"_

"Well, everything else was turning out true, and in Grognak the women, actually the men too, they run around in what has to be a few leather straps. Not very good armor when you get right down to it." He said shrugging.

Louise shook her head rapidly, a slight blush forming. "No!... well, maybe some barbarian Gemrnainian, probably related to Zerbst, but certainly not a reputable mage. And Founder above, never a Tristainian Noble. Those barbarians can call us prudish all they want, we will never sink that low." She nearly stuttered out. Likely because the space between her mother and scantily clad, was far too close for comfort for any sane human being.

"Okay slow down, Germaniain, Tristainnian? Are those countries, states? Like the NCR?" Pete asked.

She breathed out her exasperation and answered. "Yes. There is, Germania, Tristain, Galia, Romalia, and Albion. Each one had their own rulers, Kings and Queens rule over their respective ones and a series of Nobles rule over various estates in the kingdom."

"Ah, I get it. The kingdoms are the nation, and the estates are the, well, states. So, you were the daughter of a governor then?" Otis asked.

"Well… yes. I suppose you could look at it like that. My mother actually had very close ties to the crown. I was even the play mate for the princess when I was younger."

"…how uh, rich was your family?" Came the question, oddly enough from Luke.

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow."Well, we are very well off, as to be expected for a Noble family. We are among the richest even among Nobles actually." A bit hyperbolic maybe, but not by much.

"So, hypothetically, if you were returned home, would there be a reward involved?" He asked again making the pinkette wonder where this came from.

She almost scowled at him for his sudden greed, when she saw him wink at her, his eyes flicked behind her and he mouthed 'Chet' to her. She took a few seconds but then understood what he was getting at. He had mentioned his to her before a couple of times, a way to entice the man.

"Why, why yes. My family must be worried sick about me. And I would not keep those who helped me from their just rewards. But, with how expensive medicine is, it will certainly be a while before I can even begin to practice."

She heard a throat clearing and she already knew who it was before he spoke. "…Well, now. I don't see why I can't help out in that area. I can give you a discount of Radaway, and Rad-X. Consider it an investment. Not that I want to force anything but.."

She had to resist the urge to giggle at Luke's ploy working as he winked. "Thank you Chet. And, to all of you as well." She said, raising her voice slightly. "I was not lying when I said I would stand by you. When I return, I will see to it that you all rewarded. I understand the risk of doing so, but I just want you to know that… I appreciate it." She imparted. Perhaps it was a bit tiring to some to repeat such points over and over again, but she meant it.

She went back to eating her food, a more content silence settling over everyone. That was until someone spoke up.

"…What's grass like?" Kenny, of all people asked.

"Hm?" Se responded, a bit surprised at the question.

"Grass. Green grass. Trees with leaves on them. What were they like?" He asked softly.

That certainly wasn't a question she'd had before."Well… green mostly. Trees… similar to ones you have here except… with leaves growing on them. There was far more than here." She explained slowly, unsure herself on how to properly articulate such mundane aspects to others. She knew this wasn't a good enough explanation, but Founder this was a weird subject. But then she noticed just how intently everyone was listening for her answer. There was a sense of longing, wanting something that they never could have, even if Louise was sure they weren't exactly doing it intentionally. And Louise was the one who could provide it.

Kenny pressed on with his question. "Only plants we ever see are crops and waste weeds. I've heard stories of a few green trees and green spots, but I've never seen fields them. Has anyone else?"

A series of 'no's' sounded off. Louise wasn't sure she was liking where this was going. No hostility maybe but the casual tone from before had certainly become a bit more scarce.

There was a pause before the next question came forth, but Louise felt the weight of the subject beforehand regardless. "Louise, if and when we manage to get you back… what then? Like, are we gonna be allowed to stay, are we gonna have to come back here?" Sunny asked.

That was a good question. Frankly, she didn't know how the spell itself would work. Would she even be able to transport back and forth between worlds? Without House, she wasn't entirely sure. But that was assuming a two way travel system would even be possible. But she didn't want to drag this into depressing territory so she tried to answer as best she could.

"I do not not know for sure, but when i do, if you all want, I could very likely get you a village of your own in the Valliere estate. Land for farming, trading just like here, and I can guarantee you that mother would be more than capable of keeping you safe." She explained

"But what about others? I got family back in NCR territory that didn't leave. I still care for em, and I don't like the idea of just leaving them" Otis said, starting off a small tirade of questions.

"I got my parents, can I take them too?" Luke asked.

"I owe it to Jodie to at least try and get her to listen."

Louise bit her lip in nervousness. She didn't quite think ahead on this one did she?

"I... suppose. Look, these are a bit more people than I-"

"You said you were a Noble right? I thought it was your duty to help commoners."

The words from Kenny caused her to glare at him. But, as her anger quickly vanished, she realized there wasn't any mocking or hostile tone in his voice. Just a very blunt question with a simple challenge, as if he was silently saying 'prove it'. She held his gaze, straining to come up with something to retort with... and could not. A quick glance around her spoke of hopeful gazes and Louise had no desire to shatter them and plunge this dinner into a dour mood.

"...you're right. I am. And I do owe it to all of you to fulfill your wishes. And in addition to the amount of New Gold-" She didn't get a chance to finish that sentence.

"Gold!?" Chet shouted, but then looked sheepish when everyone was staring at him. He cleared his throat and asked more softly, but still with an eager edge.

"Did you just say gold?" He asked again, looking at her intently.

"…Yes. New Gold is our currency, used through every kingdom." She replied slowly, uneased at Chet's sudden energy.

"Can you guys make gold yourself? With your magic?" She heard Kelly ask from off to her side.

"Yes. Through transmutation." She began, but was interrupted by Chet again.

"Really? How do you count for inflation when the gold supply increases, likely from other mages?"

She sighed. "Only square class mages, our most powerful class of mage, can make them, and even then not without considerable effort, And the crown keeps a list of all known square classes, and transmuted gold has a noticeable 'tingle' to it. If there's any unauthorized transmutation of gold, they are quick to crack down on it, and destroy the gold in the process." She imparted, causing some nods of understanding.

Chet however, had a hand on his chin in thought. "Still… hm… you know, if you ever want to get involved with the NCR, you'd have one hell of a bargaining chip right there."

"Is gold truly valued that much on this world? Forgive me for saying this, but I can hardly see people on this world using it."

"It's not necessarily using it as currency, but more giving weight to their paper currency. See, their currency, paper bills and minted coins, used to be backed by gold. But in the NCR Brotherhood war.."

"Wait, Brotherhood?" Louise asked.

"We'll get to that later. Now, the Brotherhood destroyed their gold supplies, and nearly crashing their entire economy. The traders in Hub decided to switch to a water backed currency. Sure their dollars are far weaker than they were, but it's better than being totally worthless. Well, that's all well and good, but when you think about it, that kind of places them in a precarious position. In fact, I think it's the main reason they're here in the first place: Keeping a control on water."

There was a very palpable shift in atmosphere when he said that. All heads were suddenly on the merchant as he continued his theory.

"Think about it, their entire economy is dependent on it now, they need to keep a relative monopoly on it for it to work. Add in the fact that the water reservoirs in NCR territory are starting to run dry… well, they're definitely here for the water, just not for the reasons they say. Hell, if anything I think the NCR is most likely to fail due to economics than militarily. They got enough bodies, but even then, they ain't gonna do it for free. Really Louise, you might not even have to offer them your world. Just give them a stable economy, and already you'll probably have them bending over for you."

She stared at the man. She had to admit, she didn't see that analyses whatsoever. Then again, out of all her Noble Obliges, she conceded, economics was always the furthest thing from her mind. She never was fond of merchants, but she had to admit she was a bit intrigued by Chet's analyse of the situation. It didn't sound like something a typical commoner would notice, here or on her home. It made her wonder just what his past was. She made a note to ask him about that eventually.

"Well… that certainly is an intriguing thought." Luke said, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hogwash is what it is. You really think the NCR is gonna be done in by some water?" Kenny dismissed scoffing.

"Well, at the end of the day, all people want is to be safe, fed, and doing well for themselves. The NCR is struggling to provide all three back home. Anything is possible. The Legion though... I've talked to one or two who actually considered doing business with them. Their currency is far stronger, and unlike the NCR, they actually can keep their trading routes safe. I think the Axles are proof that raiders are becoming a problem in NCR territory again. You never hear anything like that from Legion territory. At least, from what I heard."

"You support the Legion?" Sunny asked, half scoffing at the idea, half giving Chet a dirty look.

"Of course not! I'm just saying, they have advantages. You know, a single Legion Denarius goes for twenty five caps. Twenty five! Compare that to a NCR 100$ bill which goes for only 40 caps. You gotta admit their economy is their weak point. And that's with them prioritizing it!"

"Yeah well, militarily it's only a matter of time before the NCR wins. Legion just can't hope to match up." Otis chimed in, a resigned tone to his voice.

"They don't seem to be doing that good of a job. Powder Gangers, Fiends, mutants, everything just seems to show them up these days. Another thing that can affect economics is consumer confidence you know and-" Chet tried to begin another explanation but was cut off by Kenny.

"Now look here…"

And thus, the talk over dinner seemed to devolve into arguments over politics in the region, the otherworldly pink haired mage out of focus for just a bit. Quite the waylay in topics really.

Still, even as the talks continued, Louise could not help but linger on what was said about her. She _is_ a noble, and a Nobles duty is to protect commoners. These people had done their part, and could very well do more in the future. True, they were not Tristanian, or commoners of her world, but she could not shake the fact that she should repay them… and the more she thought about it, should sh

Her thoughts drifted to Harvey and Dani. Did those two deserve to live the rest of their lives on this blasted rock? How many others out there could be out there that also deserved something better?

She made her choice to forego help from any powerful factions, and she was going to stick by that. But that meant, the responsibility of opening up a way back and forth would land squarely on her. She knew the other world would have to be brought up eventually, there was no way she could keep it a secret. But then, again, she would be the one who decided what happens next. This world was one of suffering, and she had gotten off relatively easy all things considered. How much worse was it for others? How much more bleak was it for people on a daily basis… and how much could she help? And how much responsibility did she have?

She was glad the attention was off of her for a while. She was too heavily distracted by her thoughts to do much of anything except stare at her cooling chili.

...

 _Dear Maggie,_

 _ _We have arrived at Primm, our most recent annexation in this region, and our first bit of good news we can claim for the New California Republic. It's a small trading town just recently under siege from an escaped gang of convicts from one of our correctional facilities in the area. There's been no word of whether or not we will retake it, but that's not why we're here. We've gotten some intel suggesting that, about a month ago, a Lost ambush left several men dead. What's interesting is that they found some tracks leading to a nearby town called Goodsprings. Most likely just some random scavenger really, considering the main group headed away from the town, but, believe it or not, Hank Morrigan himself finally convinced the right person to be able to look into it. I suspect it was more due to his reputation as 'The jackal Hunter' and the convenient excuse more than anything.__

 _The town, Primm… It truly does make one grateful for life back in the urban centers of the Republic, and a reminder of just how far we have come. New brick and stone buildings, lamps on every corner and down every street this is not what a typical frontier town looks like. The buildings I've seen speak of long years without upkeep, the very building in which a Courier Express operates out of is partially collapsed, and one look at their 'Bison Steve Hotel' tells one of what is typical out here. Still… despite the recent hardships the townsfolk had been through, I cannot help but feel a sense… of wrongness, the only way to describe it._

 _The newest regiment of troops have not been the most pleasant. They treat them more_ _like soldiers than civilians, ordering them around and not having much patience for backtalk. Perhaps I was overidealizing the image of us moving forward but… the looks of utter contempt the townsfolk gave us genuinely made me pause. They were just freed from one group, another bunch of Californians at that, only to be under the thumb of another once more._

 _The only consolation is that we also gave them plenty of ammo and goods for trading. Word must have spread by now about our annexation so I feel there is a good chance for a great increase in traders, especially given reports that the rad past Goodpsprings has become infested with giant wasps, and the road past Quarry Junction is too dangerous. Yet another problem we seem to be dragging our heels to solve. Also supposedly caused by our 'lovely' rejects of society. In my first few days in the Mojave, even a fresh rookie such as me can spot flaws here. No wonder reports from here are hard to come by back home._

 _I have seen the true fruits of the Republic, I know what we can do, I have not lived a life of luxury, but I can say without a doubt that I have not known a life such as this. Living on the frontier, never knowing what the next day will bring. I only hope that with time, we can improve-_

"Hey Carl!"

Private Carl looked up from his journal, many pages missing from past letters sent to his sister, to see a blonde haired woman, private Becky, wearing an NCR uniform like him, waving at him.

"Morrigan says we're getting ready to move out." The woman called out.

Nodding in understanding, he deftly closed his journal, storing it away in his rucksack. He would finish up his latest letter some other time, and it's not like it would be that difficult. He pulled out from the shade he was sitting under and felt the sun beat down on him making his eyes squint. Slinging his standard issue service rifle over his shoulder, he quickly caught up to Becky. She looked at him, a slight interest on her features.

"Writing to your sister again?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yep. First true part of the Mojave I've seen. Not quite what I was expecting though." He said sighing, eyeing the assorted greens browns not far away from them, bringing in supplies and barking out orders as the NCR began establishing a foothold in Primm proper. He spotted an elderly couple looking like they were catching an earful from, Mcgee was it? The old man looked almost ready to sock him, while the woman just looked at him like he was no better than radioactive sludge on the underside of her shoe.

Becky though seemed a bit less phased, even if she did roll her eyes at the scene. "Eh, could be worse. You hear about that other town, Nipton?" She asked.

Carl nodded. He was sure it was custom to tell all new arrivals to this place about that town. Call it a hunch, but the story just seemed too rehearsed. But that did little to hide the fact that Nipton did not sound like a pleasant place regardless. That was one of the first things he noticed when he arrived in the Mojave. They clearly knew that town had a criminal element to it, including a few reported Viper sightings, and missing persons reports, some of which were Californians. And yet, nothing was being done about it.

Perhaps he was a bit sheltered, but even in the cities people the authorities were quick to at least look into something far less severe than those. He just couldn't wrap his head around that town still existing. True, one could make the argument that due to it not being under NCR jurisdiction, they had no authority to do anything. But that still meant just watching obvious problems and not being able to do anything about them.

Including ones they just caused if one took into account Primm. If even a lowly sheltered private could see the problems that posed, why didn't anyone higher up see it as well? He felt a particular sharp glare from what looked to be the former deputy of the town. He did hear that he lost his sister to them, and now the town was once again under the control of Californians. He gave a disgusted shake of his head before walking off somewhere.

"Fucking shithole I hear. This place… just one day in it, and I find out how many problems lie just beyond the Mojave outpost. Very different than what we're being back home, no?" He asked, sighing in exasperation.

"Yeah…" She said, sighing equally in exasperation.

They soon caught up to the rest of the squad. The one that would be going up to Goodsprings.

He only talked with one other. The bespectacled James came from New Reno. He was a friendly enough guy, despite the obvious knife wounds on his arm from his past life. He seemed to have a cool head at least, and the talks he had with him spoke of a man who while had lived a bit of a rough life, did not himself seem like a bad man. Though he did have a penchant for turpentine bombs, as evidenced by the ones hanging on his belt.

The rest he didn't really talk to all that much, and if he was being honest, they didn't look like they were interested in making talk just yet. There was an atmosphere of unease around them, though not necessarily dangerous. Just a general sense of 'I don't want to be here'. Well he supposed he could hardly blame them for that could he?

Becky was the only one he considered on the way to becoming a friend at this point. And that was despite her coming from, perhaps the most opposite of lifestyle,, that he knew of so far. He was a city boy, and she lived out on the fringes of NCR territory, the places where the Wasteland still had a grip on. A farmer she used to be, deciding to join the army.

"So what you think of this? Goodsprings recon?" She asked, hoping to make some idle conversation.

"I don't know. Lost has been keeping a low profile from what I hear. That or we really aren't that interested in them. I'm thinking the latter. Shit, look at how many newbie's there are here. This isn't something you send for anything serious." She observed.

Carl nodded. For a recon into a supposedly hardened group of killers, there were a lot of fresh recruits here. Him and Becky included. She seemed to have the same thoughts he did. James was the second highest ranked being a Corporal. But the rest were raw rookies. And one look at the way they held their weapons and themselves spoke of not having seen any action whatsoever. Neither did he or Becky to be fair but that didn't help anything.

It just boggled his mind. He read posters back in the city of a line of well disciplined troopers all standing at these people really weren't it. He didn't know if it was due to a shortage of time, or worse care, but when soldiers still occasionally struggled to even load their weapons something was off, and not only that there was an air of resentment in a lot of them.

Becky must have noticed his expression. "They're conscripts, that's the problem. Carl, I like you, but you haven't lived on the fringes of NCR. Out there, it's different than the cities. I was one of the few volunteers from those areas, but that was because I figured I would save myself the worry of the worry that the draft forms would come for me. Just one day the NCR decides your butt is theirs, and now we get to walk around the Mojave in the sun, not knowing if we're gonna be strung up on a cross, dying from heatstroke, or lining the insides of some animals gut. And not many people had a say in whether or not they wanted this." She pointed out.

He looked at her astonished. Then back at the assorted soldiers. She made a good point. If you force someone to work for them... well, the anti slavery propaganda the NCR loved to push seemed just ever so slightly hollow didn't it?

"And not only that… I got a bad feeling about this Carl. Like really bad. I.. maybe I'm overreacting, but...Fuck, I need to get his off my chest. " She said, causing the man to look at her questionable

She was rubbing her hands nervously. "Back at the Outpost, when I went outside for a leak, I heard Morrigan arguing with Ranger Jackson. He sounded… weird. Half crazy almost. He was really pushing going to Goodpsrings, and he sounded so damn angry. He was just going to town on him… I think Morrigan was pushing this for a long time, an entire month, and Primm was just an excuse to come out this way. I don't know, maybe I'm worried about nothing, I mean he's damn near a war hero, but... fuck..." She tried coming up with words to express herself, but failed to do so.

That… truly was troubling. Morrigan was the face of them NCR pushing eastward. His exploits fighting the Jackals were even made into a radio serial, painting the image of a brave and fearless man with incredible exploits. While even he knew it was likely romanticized, that didn't sound anything reassuring.

He didn't have much time to truly dwell on it, for out walked the man himself from from a tent, talking with A Lieutenant by the looks of it. Short cropped brown hair under a lime beret, icy blue eyes that spoke of many battles, and giving off an eerie look in the shadows. His jaw line even reminded Carl of those fables hero's in comics, and he walked with a confidence that always reminded people why he made it as far as he did in the army.

He was blunt, getting to the point he wanted with nothing in the way of pleasantries."I hope you all got rested up, cause our next stop is Goodpsrings. We don't know what we're going to find there, but I want everyone on alert. The''re good reason to believe that Goodsprings might be involved with the Lost. About a month ago, a patrol was killed, a trail leading from the battlefield was discovered to be heading in it's general direction."

"Just a lone trail sir?" James questioned. Despite not seeing him, Carl was sure there was a confused expression on his face. He certainly sounded the part.

Morrigan merely stared at the Corporal. "That's right. I've confirmed that Lorcan Teauge, the Losts leader, used to frequent the bar in that town. There's a good chance at least one befriended him. Someone must know something, and I intend to find out what."

James looked like he wanted to at least voice the already many questions. Like why did Hank Morrgian have such an interest in this, what is to be known as a minor gang? What if it was just some random scavenger happening upon the battle scene? How can you be sure he did befriend someone? He was going on a lot of assumptions, and even the rookies sensed something off about this.

"If there's no more questions, we've got a job to do. Don't forget, these assholes killed soldiers just like you. We'll be doing something good wiping them out. And Goodpsrings is our best chance to do that. Now move out." He said, roughly gesturing for the rest to follow him.

With that the assembled group of troopers began to walk northward. They soon left Primm behind, rifles at the ready for any wildlife that dare harass them. With a group of fifteen however, it looked unlikely that there would be any trouble as they marched towards Goodpsprings, the rising sun already making its presence known through the heat.

Through it all, Carl began to feel the same pit of uneasiness that had been plaguing Becky since that night in the outpost

* * *

...

 **Good. Fucking.** _ **God.**_ **Why is it chapters I know what I want to have in them always take the longest!?**

 **Also, I have no bloody idea of my explanation for the NCR economy has merit. Any economists out there, feel free to lambaste me.**

 **Ugh, I think this took so long because this is right before the chapter where things get interesting, which is the one I desperately wanted to write. I have a lot of detail into how it's going down, so It should come very quickly.**


	15. A Clean Face XV - Arc Finale

Louise let out a yawn as she checked her Pip Boy for the time. She opted for the second shift during the night this tome. Otis and Kenny still needed at least one more day before they were back in form again. She was on the southern end again, this time being with Luke and Kelly. They had asked her a few more questions about her home, and now knowing just how long the night shift was, Louise didn't mind passing the time with a bit more knowledge sharing. However, what Kelly had just suggested when she got back to familiars made her tilt her head in confusion.

"You want me to do what?" She asked, not taking her eyes off her area, but not hiding the incredulous tone of her voice at what the woman suggested.

"Try that bind familiar on one of the creatures here!" Kelly repeated.

"And pray tell why would I want to do that? I'm already sinking a lot of caps into keeping radiation at bay as is. And that's without me practicing the spell in question, which may I remind you is what caused me to travel here in the first place.

"I know that… but when you get back home, wouldn't it be cool to have something like a Night Stalker, maybe a Cazador, ooh maybe, if we can get a Deathclaw egg…"

"Kelly, I really doubt it's on anyone's mind to go into a damn Deathclaw nest." Luke scolded.

"I'm just throwing ideas out there. I just think having a hybrid animal would be a good trophy to bring back."

"We have them already, thank you very much. Manticores are half feline and half scorpion, and chimeras are part lion, goat and snake." Louise replied, allowing herelf a smirk when she was the one who was able to get truly horrified reactions out of people

"I have no idea what a lion is, but the snake head is horrifying enough."

"Well, the snake head was the tail actually. And they both could fly." She said casually, getting even more horrified looks from them.

"…I'm starting to reconsider settling down on your world. Doubt I could handle the two moons anyway…" Kelly said, shaking her head.

"Like I said, we mages were good at keeping them under control. We even used them as mounts for battle. And Tristain is mostly settled, compared to Germania. They are the only kingdom I Know of that could potentially rival this wasteland in terms of danger, at least in some spots. Perhaps you would like a spot there instead, it truly be just like home."

"No thanks. I'll save that for my golden years. I've always wanted to fight a dragon at age sixty." Luke snarked.

"Well, I still think you getting a familiar would be interesting. Then again, you bringing back that Pip Boy might be enough. Medieval world and all."

Louise snorted. Medieval. What a ridiculous sounding term. Ever since Chet used that during dinner, some people, she thought glaring at Luke and Kelly, had taken to calling her 'medieval girl. As a nickname. Better than Zero at least.

Still… looking at the piece of technology on her hands, she couldn't disagree with that assessment. In fact, she already had an idea of who could use this

"My middle sister could use this. She's been sick ever since she turned ten, some sort of ailment which causes extreme weakness. None of the best water mages in the land could ever figure out what was wrong with there. But with this… maybe we finally could get some answers as to what is wrong with her." She said wistfully. She couldn't help but fantasize about bursting through the front door to her mansion, being hugged by family, recounting the entire tale to them She could imagine the smell of her old home, her sister Cattleya's warm embrace, her fathers jovial laugh, calling her his 'little amethyst'... she sighed.

"All the more reason to get back eh." Luke stated more than asked.

She nodded, a determined look in her eyes.

The three of them eventually finished their night shift, this one devoid of any coyote snake monsters howling from the night, though she did hear a few regular ones. Eventually the sun began to break the horizon, reliving all three of their duty. Louise trudged back to Mitchell's, getting in a few precious minutes of sleep, before having to wake up for her shift. She had to partly drag herself to it, but she arrived at her post ready for another day's work.

Oddly enough though, no one had come through, even thought it was well past ten. Not a single trader yet, and Louise had no idea why. Just an empty Saloon. She wasn't the only one to notice it, as Trudy hummed in thought as she too observed the scarce interior.

"Must be because of Primm. Mr. New Vegas did say the NCR was annexing it right? I'm sure the traders are being held up by them, or just eager to have a new place to stop at again. With the NCR supplying them, Primm should have plenty of things for sale. Must be an enticing stop for them." Trudy guessed, and Louise had to agree with that sentiment.

"Do you think travelers will begin to dry up here?" Louise asked, worrying at the prospect of her source of caps drying up just as she could finally start working on her magic.

"Maybe for a little bit, but don't worry. Sunny's nearly ready to get in some mercs to clear out those wasps. Once we do that, travel will definitely pick up here again. The quickest path to Vegas, long as you steer clear of Fiend territory. And we really need to check on Bonnie Springs as well, so either way, traders will still have reason to come through here. Another reason to come this way." She said.

Louise nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. Alright. That was good. Trudy even voiced her own thoughts right after Louise had come up with them herself.

"Not to mention that Morrigan fellow keeping an eye on things. A bit odd someone like him is out in Primm."

"I agree. He sounds like a well known individual, and a competent one. Why would they send him to deal with the convicts?" Louise asked, sarcasm lacing her tone.

Trudy gave a hearty chuckle at that. "Yeah. Something about that isn't adding up. A gut feeling I have. But maybe it's just me being paranoid. We'll see what happens on that front. Now, aren't you due for some money for those Night Stalkers? I think maybe you should just get some Radaway, and start working on your magic today. Just check in during the afternoon in case, but otherwise, I think it's going to be a slow day." Trudy said, gesturing to the empty Saloon and not a single traveler in sight outside the windows for emphasis. Well, except for Pete, who was the sole patron at the moment.

Louise felt her breath hitch for just a moment. Finally. This was it. She could finally start to long process of getting back home.

"Thank you." She said the Trudy, not being able to make herself any more earnest and excited if she tried.. Despite the rocky relationship she had endured with her this past month, now that the air was cleared it was just such a weight off her shoulders not to have to burden that secret anymore.

Trudy just smiled back at her, and Louise walked out of the Saloon, her stomach full of butterflies, and her pace quick, eager to get started. And do something else while she was it it. Something that had been on her mind since dinner yesterday.

...

Louise knocked before hearing a 'come in' from the occupant inside. Entering, she found the blond hunter sitting at a table, with her canine companion at her feet, who barked at her in greeting.

"Oh hey Louise. You need something? Kenny giving you shit again?"

Louise shook her head. "No no nothing like that. I just wanted to ask you something... would you allow me to join in clearing out those hunters?"

"Really? Louise, those things are dangerous to even vets. I don't think you're quite ready to take something like that on. Hell, I barely am."

"I know, but my magic might come in handy. I can disorient them, shred their wings, blow them up. You're gonna need as much firepower as you can get, since as you said, they are dangerous to even someone like you."

"Also reveal yourself to other mercs we're gonna be getting soon?" She pointed out.

'Yes I know, and I accept that, and ultimately the choice is yours, but... I just feel like I owe the people here more. Hunting just... isn't enough for me anymore."

"You don't owe us-" She began, but Louise cut her off.

"Yes I do! Every single one of you is taking a risk by letting me stay here. I feel like I should be returning the favor. I cannot content myself with geckos and coyotes, while you throw yourself at these things. I can help, and It would be stupid of me to just sit inside while you put yourself in harms way without it."

Sunny paused for a long time, before giving a resigned sigh"...alright. Hopefully, we can either convince them to keep quiet, or people will think they're crazy. But I'm telling you right now: it will be dangerous. You do precisely what I say, when I say it, and no questions. This will be the real deal, got it?" She asked, any trace of the usual easygoing Sunny was gone, in her place was a was something akin to her own mother with the way that look was directed at her.

It only encourage Louise, determination swelling within her. "Yes."

She gave another sigh. "Alright then. Go get your medicine, and we'll start talking about what we should start do. The mercs are gonna want a plan when they get here after all." She explained

"I will. And thank you for trusting me Sunny. I wouldn't ask unless I felt I couldn't do it."

"I know. I'm just worried is all. You're already an honorary Goodspringer to me, and to Luke, and to a lot of others. You don't have to prove anything, I mean that." She said, placing a hand on Louise's shoulder.

She sighed. "I know. But... I simply must. Kenny was right. I have a duty to protect commoners. Especially ones I consider my friends. You are the first ones I've ever had you know. If I let you go into battle against such dangerous beasts without my aid, I don't think I'd ever consider myself a noble ever again. Or your friend. You all are putting yourselves on the line for me. I cannot continue to ask you to do that, If i am not willing to do the same. I do not wish to be viewed a... zero." She explained, uttering the word that plagued her.

"Heh. Knew he was involved somehow in this... But those explosions will come in handy. Be sure to tell Chet that. I'm sure he'll give you some extra doses if you can help bring in more customers."

"Got it. And thank you again." Louise said, a warm smile on her features, as she left Sunny's house, her spirit full of confidence.

…

Inside the general goods store, Louise quickly made her way over tot he counters, her caps bag rattling with earned money, catching the man behind the counters's attention even more so than the door opening and closing did.

"Ah hello Louise. I've got something for you today. Mean to give this to you yesterday, but it slipped my mind."

He leaned down and procured tow what appeared to be leather straps of some sort, though Louise was well acquainted with them by now, even before Chet decided to keep on talking. "These, are gun holsters. For your laser pistol and handgun. Don't worry, Sunny paid for them already. Said she figured it was time you got some of these so you don't have to constantly carry your weapons go on, try em on."

She eyed the straps, not in a derisive way though she actually had been hoping something like this. Shrugging, she went to work clipping them in place, and placing her laser pistol in one, and though the other holster was empty, she had to take a moment to reflect on this moment, helped immensely by the mirror int he shop. She eyes herself, here she was, a Noble girl all dressed up in garments with weapon holsters like she was one of those adventures in bedtime stories. Well, considering her mother was a true one, she didn't necessarily see it as a bad thing. Just another reminder of how far her life veered of what she had in mind for it. She wished she had one for her wand. Keeping it in her jacket's front pocket was asking for trouble she felt as she patted it out of habit.

She allowed herself a small grin regardless, though her eyes drifted to the pack Chet kept in the back. Maybe she could but that as well soon. It would be nice not to have to carry these rattling bottle caps on her side all the time. Regardless she was just about to buy her dose of Radaway. Oh finally, she could start!

And then, she heard two gunshots in rapid succession come from just inside the town, causing the girl to whip around and face the source.

...

If there was one thing army recruitment ads left out of the equation it was just how much fucking walking there was. So. Much. Walking! And with only his trooper helmet providing any shade, which did little to ease the heat of wearing such a stifling uniform, on top of the equipment they had to carry. Needless to say, Carl had finally understood the utter derision soldiers showed for those advertisements. This was the most boring and uncomfortable walk he' ever had in his life.

"Not easy to carry this shit when you don't have a truck is it?" The blonde woman, Becky, beside him asked.

Becky looked to be faring better, though he could still see the strain on her face, and her sweating just as much as he was.

"No it isn't. Don't understand how you do it so easy." A relative term, but applicable nonetheless.

"Farm girl remember? You get used to doing to shit like this. But the army found a way to one up it…" She said, grunting as she shifted the weight in her pack.

Morrigan though seemed completely unbothered by the weight he carried. Unsurprising really, he had been serving for quite a while now. He's had years to get accustomed. If nothing else, this trip would at least break in the recruits proper. All of them however, only had weeks in basic at him and Becky we're bringing up the rear in the assortment of soldiers, with him trailing behind even her. Though perhaps a tad embarrassing, he had to admit the view wasn't all that bad. Even if his eye missed a few large rocks here and there.

It wasn't until James seemed to drop back a ways to both of them, that Carl was reminded of an uncomfortable fact that had been scratching at the back of his head the further they got away from other's eyes.

"…James, something wrong?" Becky asked, noting the worried look in the Corporals face.

"Morrgian was talking to himself." He said, looking at the both of them with a worried expression.

"I caught what you said about him earlier, but I didn't buy it' Hank Morrigan? THAT Hank Morrigan? Nah, couldn't be. But…"

He paused "He was muttering something, couldn't tell what about, but I think it was about the Lost. He kept saying 'make them pay' or something."

Both Carl and Becky looked at each other, Carls eyes drifting over Morrigan, a part of him thinking he could hear them even from the front of the pack.

"Fuck. I knew there was something off about this. I think he's fucking obsessed." Becky harshly whispered.

"I don't know. Surely there must be something to this right? Isn't there a good chance the Lost could be involved with this town?" Carl tried reasoning.

"I doubt it. Lorcan's group hasn't been reported anywhere near this are for a long time. That attack about a month ago was the closest, and even then, they made a conscience choice to avoid this area. I don't know what he hopes to achieve by doing this." James said.

"Look. If there's really nothing sketchy about this town, then I don't think anything will happen. Morrigan is an icon for the NCR. He would not do anything too brazen or else he would be torn down in an instant, all of his accomplishments gone in an instant. Just put some faith in him, alright?" Carl insisted.

"…Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Just thought I'd keep you on the up and up." James said, him expression not really conveying any sort of relief before picking up the pace, making his way tot he front of the group.

Both Carl and Becky gave dubious looks. Despite his words, Carl himself was increasingly unsure of this. Truthfully, he didn't buy his own words all that much either. He had to say something of that sort though, because if he didn't, he wasn't sure he could hold it together. _Primm seemes such a long way away now_. He noted as he turned his head backwards for a few seconds..

He clutched his rifles tighter, eyeing Morrgian with intent.

It didn't seem to take all that long to wander into Goodsprings. Simply by following the road, the group of soldiers soon passed the reason for the name, fresh water basins enticingly holding the sound of running water as they passed, Carl noting that all the troopers heads following them as they passed. All except for Morrigan. If anything, his pace quickened once the town proper came into view.

The first person they saw was what appeared to be a youngish looking man wearing an orange shirt and a red cap. He appeared to be tending to a garden, pulling out waste weeds, and watering the plants, when he noticed the approaching green clothed individuals, and even from his position way in the back, Carl could see his eyes widen, and a visible shock seemed to pass through him, causing him to jump in place. The worried look on his face was like obvious even from where they were first noticed. Soon they were up close to him, and the young man seemed no better in squashing her nervousness.

"Ah, oh, uh… hello. What brings you uh… here?" He stuttered nervously, his eyes drawn to the service rifles.

Morrigan for his part, didn't seem to care., being blunt as usual. "We are investigating the murder of several NCR troopers. The event happened around a month ago, and we discovered tracks leading to this town.

The man bit his lip, looking like something foul had just crossed his mind. "Oh… shit… alright look. Just to start with, she didn't do anything. All she did was stumble across what had happened, and then came here. That's it. She didn't kill any of your boys."

"Who's she?" Morrigan asked, his aggression making itself known for the briefest of second.

"Louise. Look, none of us here want any trouble. Now if we can just talk about this, I'm sure we can-"

"Oh shut up." Morrgian spat out, a disdainful look in his face.

The man looked offended, but he was smart enough to not back talk the many armed soldiers in front of him.

Morrigan shook his head, turning to face the soldiers, all of them noting the slightly wild look in his eyes. I knew it. This town is connected. Start rounding them up for questioning. I need to know who was the most involved with Lorcan."

"Wait, what? Sir, you can't do this, there is no-" James tried to speak, but Morrigan cut him off.

"Do you really believe she 'just stumbled across the scene? That she had nothing to do with them them? Lost has plenty of sympathizers in the fringes. All they gotta do is preach to the usual naysayers." He snarled.

"Oh for, she's only a kid! And she couldn't even shoot! We had to teach her not to drop the gun when she fired it. She's not a threat, she's not Lost, she's nobody." The man said, backing away ever so slightly his hand though remaining at his side looked to have an urge to travel to his holster.

"We'll be the judge of that. This town is now under NCR occupation. An investigation into weather or not you have been aiding an abiding an enemy of the Republic. James, go door to door, start rounding them up." He ordered. Even from his place in the back, Carl could see the unease spread through the soldiers like wildfire. None of them stepped forward, some seemed to be looking back an forth, greatly unsure of what to do and likely on the verge of panicking.

James stepped forward, not intent on following through with the orders. What he lacked in rank, Carl was sure he made up with personal experience with the soldiers, more than Morrigan did at any rate, they were all looking between them wondering who to follow and he was encouraged by his response. "Uh, sir with all due respect, I don't think there is any need for that. We just need to talk to one person, this is severely excessive and a breach of our jurisd-"

"I said, start rounding them up..." He growled out, eyeing each and every single on of the soldiers. If looks could kill, Carl was sure the entire group of soldier would have knifes in their guts right about now.

James needed support. It was clear Morrigan wasn't going to let this insane idea of his go, but the others still looked a bit in shock, Becky being the only other one looking ready to step forward. It was Carl that stepped forward first though. In an attempt to get this situation under control, and an undeniable part of him wishing to prevent furthering the souring of the NCR's reputation. "Sir! This a gross misconduct! I will not follow such orders, and neither will-"

Carl Edwards had only spent about one month in the NCR military, and the vast majority of that was only basic trooper training. He had never once took aim at a live human being in his life, had never once had to draw his weapon in a life or death situation. But Hank Morrigan had. He had spent ten years in the military, had surely killed many people in his time, and surely far more dangerous than a city boy just turned soldier.

Morrigan deftly pulled out his sidearm and fired off a shot catching private Carl in the face. It was not an instant death. He felt the bullet tear through his upper jaw, the burning of the bullet lodged in his flesh, and quickly dislodging two teeth and shattering one. He felt the teeth and fragments inside his mouth as he fell to the ground, the painful impact overshadowed by the _burning_ inside his head as the bullet nestled inside his head. He began to panic, trying to move his extremities despite the _pain._ He thought of Maggie, the last letter he sent to her of him arriving safely in the Mojave outpost. She would never know what happened if he died here. He tried his best to get up, but his limbs refused to move more than twitch.

He just barely heard the second shot sound off from Morrigan, hearing a pained scream from the man. Then another shot from ahead but he could just barely make out Jame's shoulder emitting a puff of red with him falling back, and the rest of the soldiers frantically looking around as more shots erupted. He heard cries of terror from some, some exclaiming to what religion suited them.

"Weapons free, take these fuckers down!" Morrigan yelled, blind firing towards the town. as he took cover.

Then everything went dark, leaving his eyes wide open, his pain and terror burning themselves into all who had laid eyes on his own.

...

"What in the fucking shit!? Is that NCR!?" Chet shouted, taking cover by the wall next to the window, pulling out his gun in the process.

"What!?" Louise shrieked. She took cover behind the other side of the wall next to the door, her heart rate increasing rapidly.

Sure enough, green uniforms shad had not seen since she first arrived, had congregated on the edge of town, all taking cover behind various objects. However, it was the orange shirted young man closets to her that had her attention the most.

"Luke!"She yelled, even though she knew he couldn't hear her over the sound of gun fire.

He was wounded, that much was obvious. The bright crimson coloring oh his shoulder was sickeningly visible even from here as he took cover behind a rock, someone keeping a steady stream of fire on him, kicking up sand rand rock as it impacted around him. He clutched his wound tightly as he tried to fire back. A man looking to be wearing what appeared to be a green hat rushed, rounding his cover behind the rock, before firing several times into Luke.

Louise felt a cold sensation come over her. Her whole being felt numb as she watched Luke slump over, unmoving."No.. no… no nononono!" She had talked with him… grown to call him a friend, and partly mentor. And these people just murdered him...

"Fuck! Fuck! Oh fuck!" Chet breathed out, not taking the sight any better. He was shaking violently, either in fear or rage, clenching his handgun even tighter as he witnessed the death.

"What do we do!?" She shrieked.

He looked at her, and the pure unbridled hatred he showed for her in just an instant, was enough to make her step back as if she was just struck with a hot poker.

She caused this didn't she? Kenny was right. All this time he was ranted and raved about being a danger... and he was right. The dead form of Luke was painful proof of that... oh Founder, what had she done... She felt she had to say something. Something to justify what had happened, or just sob until she died and hoped that would be enough.

Whatever what was threatening to spill out didn't for more shots from outside. Peeking her head around the corner, she felt as if a cold bucket of ice water was just dumped all over her being as she witnessed Michell and Otis come out of the house atop the hill and start firing at the soldiers. They didn't look to be hitting anything though, and the counterattack was swift as the rapport of rifles sounded off, and Otis took several shots to his torso, and Mitchell was shot in the side and he fell to the ground, his cries of pain still audible however. A single shot put an end to the old man who had ensured Louise's survival this past month. She didn't move. She had to be in shock, for felt just... numb. Watching these... murderers slowly inch their way into her home.

That was until Chet started firing as well at the soldiers, trying to hit the leader, but he was quick, darting back behind cover as soon as the first shot sounded.

"Don't just stand there kid, shoot back at em! Hell use your magic, grouped up like that, they're easy pickings!" He yelled, ejecting his spent magazine, it clattering on the wooden floor.

Louise barely heard him. She felt frozen in place, the sights overwhelming her. She felt in shock,her world in a haze.

She heard more yelling from Chet as she watched more soldiers begin to move into the town proper, a group of three taken by surprise when a stick of dynamite landed at their feet and detonated, killing one instantly, and blowing off the leg of another. The third one was just out of lethal range it seemed for they quickly retreated back behind cover. The wounded man was wailing for help, even trying to crawl away, as his right leg was only barely attached. A shot from the Saloon entering his head put an end to that notion.

More shouts from Chet and from the leader of the soldiers sounded off, and soon the rapport of multiple rifles unloading into the Saloon, the thunderous roar drowning out all other sensations as she watched the troopers muzzle flashes.

She was nearly deafened by the explosion, a luck shot managing to hit one of Pete's dynamite sticks, the store shook, and Louise covered her ears and screamed as the front end of the Saloon was blown open, wood and stone debris flying outward, along with what looked to be an arm.

She was unable to do anything except just watch as the town was slaughtered before her eyes. That was until a hard slap stuck her across her cheek, sending her to the floor, looking back up at a panicking and angry store owner.

"Louise, for fucks sake use your-" What he was going to say never passed his lips, the new gaping bullet wound in Chet's neck. He clutched in a futile effort to stem the torrent of crimson gushing from between his fingers. Louise screamed and was disgusted to learn she had a bit of Chet's blood on her bottom lip.

She backed away from the scene all the way into the rear of the store. It was only when she hit the wall that she stopped and slid to the floor, her eyes beginning it's leaking a she tried to hold onto her sanity in the horrible nightmare scenario. She was hyperventilating, unable to naught but cower.

She heard the footsteps rapidly approaching the care to avoid the windows. There was barely any chance to take heed for soon the door was kicked open and she soon was face to face with the murderers themselves. One was a blonde woman, covered in a severely blood spattered uniform, Louise barely noting it was the one who escaped Pete's dynamite, the other a man. The woman had her gun trained on Louise the man was looking t Chet, still alive if the sounds were any indication.

There was a silent conversation taking place between them it seemed. She heard a sigh from one of them, then a single shot aimed at the out of sight Chet put an end to his agonized sounds that had been going on in the background.

The they turned their attention to her, now both sets of guns aimed right at her as she whimpered.

"Clear in here! We got that girl the civvie mentioned!" The one closest to he door called out to his compatriots. She thought she could hear similar sounds of doors being thrown open, presumably to the houses, looking for any survivors. A single gunshot rang out from somewhere, but she didn;t have tom to concentrate on it as she heard some yelling from outside but was just out of range to hear it clearly herself "Alright, let's tie her- what the gah!" He was tackled to the floor by a familiar black and grey furred dog, snarling as it tore at his face, Louise witnessing bits and pieces of flesh being ripped from his face, and she was sure his eyes was no more.

" _Oh god, get it off me_!" The woman panicked and wildly shot at Cheyenne, making the dog begin crying out in cacophony of yelps and howls as it flopped on the ground, trying to use it's two forelegs to crawl away, panting heavily.

The man on the floor was adding his own stream of wounded noises to it, rapidly kicking his feet clutching his mauled face, crying out for help.

What happened next was as if Louise had something else controlling her. She quickly pulled out her laser pistol and aimed at the blood stained standing trooper, the woman quickly turning as well and aiming her own rifle at Louise.

By all accounts Louise should have pulled the trigger. Should have sent a beam of death right into her skull, should sent a laser beam anywhere on this murderous cretin who had just wandered into town. But... she didn't. She kept her horridly shaking laser pistol on the woman and when Louise saw the womans trigger finger twitch she thought she was going to die right then and there. But she didn't fire either. Instead, her rifle was shaking just as badly as Louise's weapon, and her eyes too seemed to be red around the edges. They were pleading with the mage as she tried to whisper something, her voice hoarse.

"Please d-"

She never got to find out, for neither of them were the one to pull the trigger. A shot right behind Louise quickly made the blonde haired soldier's head left side explode in a shower of blood and skull fragments, her eyeball hanging out the side as she flopped over dead. Louise still held her unfired gun at the corpse.

The door to her right shot open revealing it to be Sunny. She gave a quick glance to the woman she just killed before moving onto the still groaning solider missing half his face. One shot later from Sunny and he ceased all movements. The excruciatingly pitiful noises coming from Cheyenne prompted her owner to quickly close the distance, and grimace and she saw the extent of just how badly she was hurt.

Louise could see the defeat in her eyes before she even said anything. "Oh fuck. Cheyenne..." He said softly, looking over the wounds. Se placed a hand on the dogs head, the canine making a weak but pained noise.

It was brief, only two seconds, but the pain, anger, despair, and... betrayal all hit the pink haired girl like a runaway carriage. She opened her mouth to say something, anything. That she was sorry, that she didn't want this to happen... but her intentions came second to the results didn't it?

Sunny closed her eyes and pulled the trigger on her gun, putting the mutilated canine out of it's misery.

After a moment of silence, she looked at Louise. "Louise, we can't stay here. There's too many of them for us to take on, and even then, this is going to put us squarely on their shit list. We need to to run. I think we're the only ones left. Take this" He said roughly grabbing the pack that had fallen from the shelves and shoved itto Louise's arms,"And start filling it up with food, medicine, ammo, anything that we're going to need... _now_!" She yelled, before running to the windows, and firing at the unseen enemies outside. The return fire sounded far closer than it was before.

Blinking away her remaining shock and briefly looking between Sunny and the pack, Louise got to work, trying her best to ignore the gunfire, and the rancid smell of blood and other bodily fluids that was rapidly beginning to proliferate the area making her gag several times, and it took half her brain power to avoid throwing up. She stuffed some canned goods, ammunition, and vital for Louise, three packs of Radaway and two bottles of Rad-X. She got her pack as full as she could carry. She strapped it to her back, looking to Sunny for commands.

"They're keeping their heads down... but I think we're outta time... if we move fast, we should be able to make for the hills. No matter what happens, don't stop running. If we get seperated, we'll meet around the Yangtze Memorial outside of town. You know that right?

"Yes... I know that..." She replied nodding.

"Good, now let's-" In the time it took for to get into dashing position, Louise witnessed an alcohol bottle with a flaming rag landed right besides her feet, the glass bottle breaking open and the contents splashing on Sunny before igniting, sending the blonde into a panic long enough for another one to come, this one at more of an angle breaking squarely on her chest, the liquid splashing to her face as well, anything it came into contact with catching alight instantly.

She screamed as the flames began to over take her, any attempt to smother it, weather by hand or object just spread the flames to whatever she touched. She tripped, and continued to wail in the pool of liquid at her feet, as she screamed for Louise to help her, even through her frenzied motions, even through the red and orange of the inferno consuming her, Louise could make out her arm as the flesh melted, and her face as her lips burned away screaming at her.

That was all Louise could take. With the vision of a burning Sunny reaching for her, screaming for help burned just as surely as she was, Louise bolted from her spot out the back door, tears flowing freely from her eyes. She ran and ran,just barely hearing the shots impacting just behind her as she sprinted away, the image of Sunny reaching out for her burned into her retinas from the light for a horrible few seconds.

That was until she was blindsided, tackled to the ground, before feeling a series of punches to her stomach winding her, before a rough pair of hand wrapped around her throat and squeezed.

"You little shit, you're dead, do you hear me!? Dead!" He bellowed in her face. She could just make out the red tinges around his eyes.

"I was fucking right about you! I should have just shot you, or strangled you! You're the only one who deserves to die here!" He said increasing his hold on her intent on her asphyxiation.

It was true irony she had to thank for her survival, for a soldier managed to shoot before Kenny did, catching him in the leg and knocking him away from her.

Louise got to her feet as fast as she could, continued her departure from the town, the soldiers now aiming at her again, but her short stature was far less easy a target compared to the larger Kenny. She just ran without a true end destination in mind, running solely on fear, the need to get away from the horrible event as quickly as possible. Her mind felt an inch away from insanity as, a part of desiring to just tell herself it wasn't real until the end of days.

She wasn't sure how long she ran, but enough that the terrain was unfamiliar to her, even with her hunting trips giving her a basis. She doubted she ran towards that cross memorial Sunny mentioned, but it mattered little to her in her state. There were still shots being taken at her from time to time. She did know the ground was becoming more uneven, making keeping a steady pace difficult. Soon, it gave way to a hilly area.

Her adrenaline was wearing off, her breaths becoming severely ragged by now her bounds were becoming less and less. She scanned the area briefly before finding a small looking save, and not seeing anything else in her panicked state,she made for it, crouching down to crawl inside.

She crawled deeper, but it didn't look to go much deeper than this. Louise didn't care about it, instead opting to get on her knees and bury her head in hands, and just begin sobbing.

They were all dead... because of her. Mitchell, Luke, Sunny, Otis, Trudy... oh Founder. Sunny's burning screaming visage still seeming as if she were right next to her, her screams echoing still. She killed them... and she ran. Couldn't even kill the ones responsible for it... oh Founder she was a pathetic excuse for a human being, never mind a Noble. And all she could do was cry and cry, tears running between her fingers falling onto the dry stone. She barely noticed the increase in pressure in her head, as the painful events continued to swirl inside as a tornado, unheeding of the fact that she was being chased.

A part of wondered if deep down, if she wanted them to find her.

She didn't even care for the voices sounding like it was getting closer to her... but what did catch her attention was the roar, and terrified scream. It was constant pleading for help as she turned to face the entrance to the small cave.

Feeling as if she should take a look she crawled forward, her pack brushing against the ceiling in the cramped space and when she emerged, she felt a fresh wave of terror as she witnessed the visage of evil itself.

The beast was large. Larger than anything else she had seen on this world yet. It stood on two legs, it's tail behind it. It looked to be a giant brownish lizard of some sort, vaguely giving Louise callbacks to a dragon.

So focused on the creature, she was utterly oblivious to the screaming coming from its massive hands with equally massive claws. It raised its hand over its head, and she could see it was holding a man wearing the green uniform it looked like. With one swift motion, it pulled with disturbingly little difficulty, it's hand in opposite directions, tearing the screaming man in half. It wasn't an aggressive pull either, just enough to make his torso and legs two different objects, his insides sliding onto the beasts tongue as it held it out and began lapping it up as a dog would do to water.

And then, it paused. Then, slowly, it turned it's head in her direction. It had milky white eyes and what looked to be two horns atop it's head.

Louise felt a pain in her head as her mouth hung open as it began approaching, it's mouth still working on the soldiers insides. Louise could only breath out in horror, her fingernails threatening to break upon the stone she was squeezing. Louise clutched her head, the sickly stifling pain spreading like a spider web throughout her head.

She wanted to go home... she wanted to go home! She wanted to go home and see her family again! She wanted to see her sisters, her parents, she wanted to be in Tristain again! She wanted to GO HOME!

The pain reached a crescendo, and the beast... flinched. It's eyes, as expressionless as they were, still managed to give off a very visible look of fear as it backed away suddenly. It gave a gravel mewling sort of noise before running off with both pieces of the solder in it's claws.

When the sound of it's footsteps were gone, Louise still didn't mover from her spot in the entrance of the cave. She didn't know how long she stayed there, her blinking eyes being the only sign of movement from her for some time.

When she did move, she pulled herself out fo the cave, cautiously looking towards the direction of Goodsprings, an easy thing to do considering the plume of smoke coming the town. She waited, a stupid thing to do in case of lingering soldiers, but she surprised herself when she held her ground. It turned out to be against an empty area, for no bullet pierced her skull.

Nothing. Nothing at all except the sound of the wind blowing through the hilly area, the sound driving home her isolation.

She began looking around, a futile gesture but she had no idea what else to do. She was alone... no town to stay in, no access to medicine..., her chance of trying to get home robbed from her, and now she likely had a bounty on her head by the NCR. Sunny was right, she was on their 'shit list' now. Her pink hair blowing into view from the wind made her shiver. She unzipped her front pocket and the only consolation she was going to get was her wand was still intact... but she was back to the day she started off on this world wasn't she? She had no more medicine.

The only thing keeping her from crying again was the simple fact she had no more tears to give at the moment. She just couldn't, even if she wanted to dearly. Her eyes tried though, and she made more than a few choked sounds regardless. She shook her head free as she could. She had to do something she supposed.

She picked a direction that gave her the best odds, away from the town, and away from that monster had run off to, and towards the east and started walking, leaving a lone trail of footprints in the desert sand, their destination unsure as the fate of the one who was making them.

 **...**

 **Anyway, It's good to get out of Goodpsrings. Onto the next Arc: The Long Walk**


	16. The Long Walk I

**Arc II: The Long Walk**

* * *

Her skin was burning again. That was one of the first thoughts clear enough to make it through the haze of fear anger, hopelessness and he pressing weight in her head. Her mind felt like it was barely clinging to conscience despite her instincts telling her to be more observant, but they were but a faint whisper in her clouded mind. She continued walking, though with a distinct cloud over her senses.

She couldn't get some of those images out of her head. The look of Sunny burning alive, the screams, they haunted her the most. Every now and then when she blinked the image almost became as if it were right next to her. She swore she could still smell the putrid odor of hair and flesh burning coming in sudden bursts.

The sound of sand and rocks rusting, made her head turn back behind her, scanning for threats. She found none, but she increased her pace. Even more, absentmindedly finally pulling her hood up best as she could with her bright pink locks sticking out in various placed but at least some shade was provided. She continued her aimless walk. She still had no destination set in her mind. Just getting away from the graveyard that was now Goodpsrings…

She heard yet more rustling, rocks and sand being moved out of her sight and perhaps she was going mad but she swore she heard someone whispering. Was she going insane? Was the shock of the battle rendering her mind nonfunctional? A very audible, human sounding sound coming from behind her, echoing off the terrain, gave her no comfort. Her breath hitched in her throat. She began running again, fleeing the hilly area, her vision becoming blurry as her speed increased clutching her head in her hands in guilt.

"I'm sorry…" She croaked out, picking up speed, the brown dusty hills becoming a blur as the pink haired girl ran once again form her failure. Sorrow enveloping her, she ran deeper into the Wastes.

* * *

Hank Morrigan stood in place watching the black plume of smoke rise into the sky, the smell of blood in the air from the corpses littering the town, the hard hitting stench of burning turpentine was clear and present even from where he stood.

His eyes were glassy, his sins reflected far and wide in them."…What the fuck did I just do?'' He breathed out. The anger left his mind, it beginning around the time a trooper was carried off by a Deathclaw. In the back of his mind he always knew what he was feeling and doing was irrational. He'd had the longest time. Even after that haze came over him, a part of him still knew what he was doing was wrong… but he did it anyway.

It was the Lost. He was always irrational when it came to them, a sort of hatred that came from being wronged on a personal level. Fuck… but he didn't want this. Dead solider and civilian alike now law strewn across the dusty town, bighorner and brahmim livestock still behind fences, gardens now forever unattended.

Had he not been through similar atrocities in the past, he would have vomited at the thought. He still didn't like it, hell he fucking regretted it. He fucked up bad…. And how many people paid the price for it? If he could, he would take it all back. Would turn around before he even got here… he didn't want this.

But that wasn't a consolation to the dead was it? He finally pried his eyes off the burning building and looked at the soldiers around him. He had been in far worse firefights in his life, but to newbies, this must have seemed like the end of the world all over again. Some began vomiting when it began and later when they saw the gore from both sides erupt. Other just now truly absorbing the scene as they took in the carnage around them, some just stood lazily, a far off look in their eyes, one of which Morrigan himself was well acquainted with. He even spotted one with a urine stain in his groin region. He'd been there too.

He blinked away the horror, the shame that had settled in his gut like an ice block. He had a duty to these soldiers. The image of him shooting the one that objected to this slaughter was like a camera flash in his mind. He had no right to even think that after that betrayal. But… there was no one else here to do so was there? If he didn't take charge, the already dark future was inescapably bleak. Even as he approached, the soldiers back away to give him room. Still, he had to dock points for not one of them aiming a rifle at him.

"…have you searched all the houses?" He asked, tersely.

The only one who had to nerve to look at him directly answered. "Y-yes sir. We did. We uh found nobody else. That girl was the only one who got away. We counted at least nine hostiles… dead. They're all dead sir. No sign of Lost anywhere." He said, not looking Morrigan in the eyes.

Alright. That sounded like the number of people that inhabited the town, minus the girl. True, maybe that Deatchlcaw finished her off, but he'd been in this buisness too long to make that call without a body, no matter how much might be left. He would have to do something about that. "Where- He began to ask but was cut off.

"Sir! We got something over here!" Came a voice from the edge fo town to the southwest.

Morrigan quickly jogged over, weapon at the ready not sure what to expect. When he finally arrived, his eyes widened in shock.

"I found this right outside sir. I checked inside already. It's empty." The soldier said, but her barely heard him.

Standing before him a blue robot on a single rubber wheel, with a screen in the middle of it's body. They all knew that shape, despite this being the first time seeing it in person.

"A Securitron? Here?" Came a panicked voice, followed by more.

"I thought only House had these things… wait…"

"Oh shit, House!"

The realization hit Morrigan around the same time the first of his rounds flew from his pistol, striking the robot right in the screen, sparks flying and metal tearing and glass shattering as en entire magazine was spent riddling the thing with bullet holes. He kept firing until his mind counted down the number of rounds he had to zero.

Morrigan quickly ejected his magazine, and unloaded another, this time the machine fell to the ground with a weighted thud after the first three bullets hit it, but he kept on it, and he soon expended the second.

After that he loaded up another magazine mostly satisfied… until he fired off one last shot into the robots wheel, rupturing it casing it to rapidly deflate with a hissing sound. He backed away, quickly scooping up his ejected magazines, but keeping a wary gaze on the now defunct robot.

"Oh shit, House could know about us! House knows!"

"Oh fuck… oh fuck, why did we do this!?" They were starting to panic again. Time to put a stop to that.

"Everybody shut up." He all but growled out. They all wisely did as he said.

He turned to face them, even the ones not directly in his gaze shrimking back. "What happened here cannot leave here. Understood? The official story will be they were Lost sympathizers and opened fire on us. We acted in self defense. Bit of truth to that anyway. As for House… just leave that to me." He stated, sending a commanding look to the rest of them.

While most complied, there were definitely signs of defiance. God he wished they tried harder.

He thought for a moment "I know what you're all thinking. 'I just took place in an atrocity, there's no way I'm going to keep quiet about this.' Well let me tell you something right now: You are. You know what's gonna happen if you go talking? At best, execution and leaving it at that. At worst, you all are going to be made an example of in the harshest of ways imaginable. You think the NCR brass is gonna let this fly with our current rep? No. Someone's gonna pay for this. And who's to say it will stop with you? What about your families, or communities? Do you think that, after this, they won't do anything to try and save face? Oh they will, _believe_ me they will. But, if you do what I say... then there's a chance. A chance we can all walk away from this. _If,_ you keep your mouths shut. Understood?"

There was a pause so potent, Morrigan could taste the bitter venom in it. Only two held their eye contact with him, while the rest just couldn't, either looking at the ground, or somewhere on his face, but not his eyes. Shame, that these two had to be involved in this, they could have had promising scandal free careers otherwise if they had just gotten some proper experience under their belt. One of the two finally asked. "And what about the dead?"

He already knew he wasn't going to leave the dead here. The two inside the burning building were lost, but the rest were coming with them. But how to carry them back? He was informed of the Cazador infestation north of here. The one saving grace is that this town was likely going to be infested now, preventing any sort of detailed investigation. Then again, the only real threat to all of this was the soldiers themselves and House. He would have to deal with that as it went however.

He looked around in thought before spotting large hand pulled wagon. It would do. He ordered the soldiers to pull it in the open, while he and the rest began gathering the bodies of fallen NCR soldiers. That also included James. He had suspected as much. His shoulder wound was left unattended, and the man had bled out while the battle raged. Another failure on his part. Ordering someone to tend to it had slipped his enraged mind. The slimy part of him though, was unable to see it as a true tragedy, for James had been the most vocal about opposing this.

He really hated what he was sometimes. The feeling intensified when he briefly entertained the thought of just shooting the rest of them right here.

He put it out of his mind. Fifteen soldiers had walked into this town, and only nine were walking out. And three would be forgoing any hope of getting a burial, being burned and carried off by Deathclaw tended to do that. The bodies were placed as respectfully as they could be, the most difficult one being the blown off leg. At least they had something, even if it technically counted as two something's now. He also ordered them to gather their casings and spent magazines. Partly out of doctrine in NCR to try and reuse them, but also in a desire to ensure no one would notice just who did the killing, or at least cut down on the evidence. Service rifle ammunition was not very common by the average Wastelander.

The soldiers were mercifully quiet. Each one silently carrying their fallen comrades to the wagon, respectfully as they could. When the last one was loaded up, Morrigan did one last check of the town to ensure they hadn't missed anybody. A more paranoid action than anything else, since the number of bodies matched up, only three. But maybe he was justified, since it appeared they missed one somehow, a ragged green clothed form hanging from an old streetlight contrasted against the blazing orange of the fire in the middle of…

…' _wait'_ … He turned back towards the street light, blinking to make sure he was seeing it correctly. There… that shouldn't be possible… there would have been no time to string the man up. What was th-

A voice, raspy as if the entirety of the Mojave sand was lodged in it's throat, echoed from it. Despite his distance from it, he could practically feel the hot stale hair being pushed out of it's lungs on his cheek as it spoke a single damming word.

" _ **Coward'**_

Now he felt the bile rise in his throat, he sank to his knees heaving as the smell of old decaying flesh invaded his nostrils, screams came from inside his head

He brought his head back up to find the corpse gone, the view of the burning building now completely unobstructed. There was nothing there, not even the rope it hung from.

"Sir?" A soldier questioned, the rest of them looking at Morrigan with a wary gaze.

He blinked, then grunted. "…it's nothing. Get moving. The Cazadores north of here will probably be moving in eventually, and I'd rather not be here when they show up. We're heading back to Primm." He said as he got back to his feet, and began leading the way back.

No other word was spoken as they left. Soon, the group of soldiers left the ghost town of Goodpsings behind them, the General Good store still burning, the fire's embers blowing onto the Saloon and it too soon went up in flames, burning the two corpses within along with the rest of it. The second plume of smoke climbed into the sky right next to the first, a visible pair of grave markers for all to see.

Morrigan saw a few more bodies on the way back to Primm. He didn't say a word of it to anyone before, and he wasn't going to now.

* * *

Louise wasn't sure where she was going, nor that did she truly care at the moment. Her base survival instincts were telling to just keep walking, but as much as she just wanted to stay in this mental numbness, her senses were returning to her bit by bit. The rugged terrain was gradually starting to even out, a more evenly level land becoming more prominent. Thankfully the sounds of sand rusting came only from the wind now, and the whispering was silent. She only just wiped away the dried blood on her lip, barely resisting the urge to retch as she did. The grief and sorrow were still well and alive, but she was trying her best to just ignore it for now. Even if her recharged tears felt like trying their hand at escaping again.

Still, she began trying to take in her surroundings, realizing that she was in uncharted territory for her, and nearing Powder Ganger territory if she was remembering correctly. That was the last thing she needed.

She kept walking, eventually coming to an old road. Memories of her first days in this world came back to her and suddenly Louise felt just as small as she did back then. She looked up and down the road, not seeing anything of value or danger in either direction. Just a few more breezfuls of dust and the sound of crickets hidden among the rocks out of sight. The sun was rising higher into the sky, beating down on single solitary pink haired figure standing by an old deserted road.

Difficult as it was given her emotional state she stood in place contemplating what she should do. Her first thought was to go to the nearest town, or wait for a caravan to arrive so she could tell people of the slaughter in Goodsprings. She just couldn't let this go unpunished! She needed to do something, to try and bring those bastards to justice!

But… was that the smart thing to do? Sunny was right, they likely placed a bounty on her by now. Even then, she knew her appearance was spread around the Mojave now if even Mr. New Vegas reported on it. And her Pip Boy… well she could take that off at least. But even getting to Primm sounded… wait, oh what was she thinking!? Primm was under NCR control now, she couldn't go there. They would either shoot her dead or lock her up as a prisoner. Not that she wouldn't deserve it…

So preoccupied in her own thoughts, she failed to hear the sound of sand and rock shifting under footsteps, only realizing she wasn't alone when a voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Hands up kid." Came the deep and commanding, yet calm and smooth voice.

She didn't move an inch when she heard the words, her body locking up in an instant.

"I said, hands up." The voice repeated.

She complied, raising her hands over her head, a fresh wave of fear coursing through her as she expected either a knife or bullet going through her back. Instead all she heard was a sigh.

"You really should keep your guard up. Next person who gets the drop on you like that will just kill you."

She still dared not to move, causing yet another sigh in the unseen man.

"You can put your hands down." The man said with a hint of exasperation.

She turned around to face the man, slowly so not to startle him. When she was able to face him, she saw that he was dark skinned with a strip of hair going down the center of his head. A pink patch of flesh was visible on his head contrasting with the dark tone of the rest of his skin. He was wearing what looking to be a long overcoat, and behind him was a pack, and a rifle slung over he shoulder. She dully noted that he didn't even appear to have had any weapons in his hands or even signs that he had them out, but that was a brief and fleeting realization lost when he spoke again.

"Don't recognize me? Well, I suppose gunshot wounds are a sight more common than pink hair. No points for head shots then… so what brings you out here?" He asked casually, adjusting the weight of his pack as he did. She thought for a few moments, before the memories came back to her. Yes, she did recognize the man, but that was secondary to her right now.

His calm, casual tone was at complete and utter odds with Louise's inner turmoil and Louise wasn't about to let it slide. "W-what brings me out here!? Do you not see the Founder damn smoke!? Goodsprings was attacked, what else could it possibly mean!?" She yelled, pointing aggressively towards the black plumes of smoke, a snarl on her face.

"I had my suspicions obviously, it's not really a surprise to me. I just figured you would confirm that. And you did." He replied, his tone angering the pinkette further.

"Why don't you show some damn sympathy for the people that helped you, you cretin! They're all dead, every single one! Sunny, Luke, Mitchell, Trudy… all of them…" She trailed off. Saying it out loud stung hard.

Still keeping his aloof tone, the man put a hand to his chin, twiddling the scruffy hair at the bottom as he looked to be in thought."Even that robot?"

She knew the answer to that. She heard the gunshots long after the battle was done coming from that direction."Yes. That damn machine is likely nothing more than scrap now. I heard the shots." She wasn't mourning that particular loss. She hardly even put that much thought into it other than occasionally worrying about House every now and again.

"Who attacked the town though? Powder Gangers?" He questioned.

There was no denying the satisfaction she finally got from telling someone."It was the NCR." She spat out the name with all the loathing she could muster.

Finally, she managed to get a reaction out of the man man, making his eyes widen, finally some offended emotion in his voice. "What? Why? Why would they do this?"

"I don't… I…. It was because of me." She whispered hoarsely, bowing her head, letting a few drops of tears fall into the sand.

"Kenny was right about me. The NCR noticed the tracks when I ran into the Lost. They must have just decided to investigate it… they just… It was a normal day before they…" She trailed off for a few seconds. "I ran away… I ran. They all died because of me and I just… ran. I…"

She didn't say anything, waiting for the man to reply. Would it be with anger, disgust that she behaved in such a cowardly way? She deserved nothing less than foul language and all their insults this world had to offer. She waited for the calls of coward, the disgust, the condemnation for her cowardice, something, anything, perhaps even a physical blow for being the cause of the death of the man's saviors.

She heard him turn his head, likely to look at the dual plumes of smoke now. After a few moments he turned back to her. "… so what's your plan now?" He asked simply.

Her head shot back up looking at the man her mouth agape, disbelief radiating off the girl so strongly she was surprised her Pip Boy didn't start clicking.

"W-what? What do you mean what's my plan?" She asked tersely, clenching her fists.

"Goodsprings is dead, and you need a place where you can hole up so you can get your medicine. Doesn't sound like you're in a good place at the moments." He stoically observed.

"How did you know that?" She demanded.

"Doctor Mitchell told me. I know of your condition concerning radiation. Without a stable source of income you-"

"Were you even listening!? Goodsprings is DEAD! All of them! And you don't even give a damn, even though they helped you, you callous bastard!" She screamed.

"…they're dead. I think the living have more problems." He stated with a matter of fact tone making the pinkette take a step forward.

"You… you bastard! You reprobate! Show some respect! An entire town full of people was just killed and you don't even care!"

He snorted derisively, unimpressed with her attempts at shaming him, the urge to find a blunt instrument increasing dramatically. "Well, I ain't _happy_ about it. I haven't forgotten what they did to help me either. They were good people, and their loss is tragic. But that doesn't matter now does it? They're dead. What problems do they have? None that matter next to yours." He stated, his blunt tone sending the girl into another fit.

"Doesn't matter!? It matters because a group of _fucking_ murderers came in and slaughtered them and are now getting away completely free! That's why it matters!" She bellowed, her throat feeling like it had had downed more of that horrendously spicy chili.

"The same group that is now likely after you, the sole survivor?" He inquired.

That finally got the pink haired mage to be silent. He held his eye contact with her, and seeing he had an opening he continued.

"That also is another problem for you, the NCR. Goodsprings was one of the few, if only, settlements in the Mojave that didn't have any presence of them. The only other town I can think of is Novac, but even that has retired NCR personal there as permanent residents, and a Ranger station down the road. So where exactly where you planning on going?

She stomped her foot, still frustrated with the man's callous and detached behavior, but just thinking about it made her head feel like it had a props entity to explode at any moment. "I don't know alright!? I just… ah!" She growled out, venting her anger by pacing and clutching her head.

The man seemed to observe his surroundings for a moment before turning back to her. "Just drop the self pitying for one second alright? It's not getting you anywhere, except higher in the rad count. Now think: What's your plan now?"

She felt another wave of yelling collecting within her throat. Just... _let this go!?_ After everything Goodpsrings had done for her, she was to just let the injustice fade away into the night, to be swept away by the wasteland winds!?

"Feel free to be angry, be sad, go after the NCR, be anything when you're back in a safe area. There, you do can as you please but for you, if you want to live, you should work out a plan." He calmly stated.

She continued to glare at him, her head pounding slightly. She finally let out a breath, trying to calm herself, more due to outright exasperation with this man than anything. She stood in place for nearly a minute before finally asking a very pertinent question.

"Is there any town that doesn't have NCR in it?" She asked, her voice low and straining to hold back the emotions inside her.

He nodded. "Nipton. Now I'm sure you've heard of its reputation, but it's really the only other town that doesn't have a permanent or strong NCR presence. The most that happens is they go there to spend money in the whorehouse, but otherwise they come and go fairly quickly. Enough that the Powder Gangers can also make rounds there as well. Make no mistake, it's not going to be a pleasant town, but if you're looking to avoid NCR, that'll be your best bet. Just be sure to hide your hair and Pip Boy when you're there, and you should be fine, so long as you can bring in the caps."

Nipton. Louise had indeed heard of that town many times, and the mention of the brothel only worsened the mental image she had of it. But how was she to get there? She had no idea of the terrain, the NCR was likely after her, there was those Powder Gangers, mutants… she was on her own now. She stood little to no chance, either on the road or in the wilds. Road wise, the NCR was bound to spot her, and in the wilds... everything that wasn't NCR. Mutants, murderers, the elements, hunger... she wasn't nearly as experienced as Sunny or heck even Luke was.

She wouldn't be fooling anybody, least of all herself if she tried claiming she could make it on her own. She would need help getting there, there was no way around it. But who? Like the man said, there was no non NCR controlled settlement for quite a ways, bandits and mutant laying

No... _no!_ Not this man! Not this unfeeling excuse for a human. His attitude alone was enough to make her distasteful of the man, despite the fact he saved her all those weeks ago.

But... did she have a choice? The facts were before her: She wouldn't survive on her in the best of circumstances, with the NCR after her she may as well just lay down and accept her fate. But, as much as she disliked this man for his comments, she had not forgotten what he was capable of. And as it stood, that was all she could ask for.

She knew it was selfish, but... she didn't want to die. At the end of the day, her survival instincts just wouldn't let her. It's about the only thing she had of use now...

She looked at the man, a questioning look in her eyes."…can you take me there?" She asked, a feeling of slight revulsion for doing so coming over her.

"Now why would I want to do that? Hell just by talking to you, I'm probably putting myself in the NCR's sights. All for babysitting?" He asked rhetorically.

She had to bite down another retort, and she was sure some of her actual magical willpower was going into keeping her voice as level as it was. "I will pay. You can keep me beholden to paying you however much you want, and I will pay you back for however long it takes. Any service you need if you wish to call upon it later, any monetary goal you can think of, I will do it. I wil do anything. Just… _please."_ She begged, her voice and features losing all hostility as she laid her fate in the mans hands.

The courier was silent as he appraised the girls words, his mind weighing the odds of his options. His gaze was cold, his silence deafening. Given what he had said about Goodsprings, she had heavy doubts that he would actually say yes. Then the slightest give in his features, a long sigh escaping from him. "If we're going to be traveling together, I want to know what I'm working with. What do you have on you first of all?"

She took off her pack, keeping a cautious eye on the man all the while. Zipping it open, she took stock of what she had managed to grab from the burning store.

"Four cans of food, a box of snacks, three Radaway and two Rad-X bottles. That's all I had time to grab."

He nodded. "Is that laser pistol your only weapon? How much charges you got for it?"

"Five fully charged packs, not counting the one in the pistol already. I had a 9mm, but I left it back in Goodpsrings." She informed him.

"You know how to use it right?"

"I can hunt geckos just fine, but… I've never fought or killed people." She replied with hesitation and a little bit of shame.

"That's a liability. We're going to have to travel in Powder Ganger territory if we want to avoid the NCR. I will do my best to avoid them, but nothing is guaranteed. I don't like the idea of of someone who can't spill blood, either to save themselves or others."

She looked at him angrily, her lips curling back, but the older man didn't care in the slightest. There wasn't any true insult to his words, just his usual bluntness, but that stung regardless.

"Not only that, but if you're intending to stay in Nipton, a place where Powder Gangers also like to congregate, that's gonna put extra pressure on you if we run into them. If any of them can report back to the rest of them that you were involved with killing them, it would make staying there difficult. You understand what that means right?"

She hesitated. "… don't leave any survivors…." She said softly, earring a pained nod from him.

"Yes. I don't believe this…" He muttered with exasperation, making her bristle.

He sighed. "…Fine alright. You're more at risk than I am anyway. Now, what about your medicine? How long before you need another dose?"

"My last one was two days ago. Mitchell said I can go a week and a half without another if I take proper precautions."

"Good to know." He said, mentally filing that information way.

Louise had to admit, at least he was being professional about this. Insensitive bastard he may be, but she could respect someone who handled themselves like this. So far though, that was the only respectable thing about him.

"Alright. Now, before we set off, I just need to stop by the mining camp Sloan real quick. I had taken up running supplies out them every so often while they wait for the NCR to come in and clear out their Deatchclaw problem. You might have to duck your head and hide your Pip Boy and wait outside for a bit, but it won't take long. After that, we head for Nipton. Understood?" He stated more than asked.

She nodded, and he did as well.

"Good. Now, ,let's get moving. I doubt the NCR is going to want to take any chances if they think someone survived that so we best make haste. Stay behind me, do as I say, and most importantly, stuff that self pitying and loathing for me down until we get somewhere we can hole up. I don't want to hear any crying or sobbing or any more 'woe is me' or anything like that. Keep it to yourself while out here, got it?"

She scowled at him fiercely, and despite her audibly growling at him she nodded in the affirmative.

"Good. Let's go." With that, her began walking down the road and with a small yelp she got in step behind him. She cast a look back at the twin smoke plumes, once again saying goodbye to a home that had been ripped from her. She turned back to the man leading her, his cold and impersonal attitude chafing her considerably in the few minutes she had known him. Still... what else could she do? Her hand was forced, in more ways than one.

Even more uncertainty had been following her than when she had been on her own. In a slight surprise to herself, she founded herself asking a question that had slipped her by the first time she met him.

"What's your name?" She asked, before mentally slapping herself. Of course not, why would he tell her?

Imagine her surprise when he answered. "You can call me Joe."

* * *

 **For the record, it is not Joe Cobb. I actually planned that name for him before I remembered the man I think everyone always kills without a second thought. Finally I got this out! Sorry this took so long everybody, Writers block and RL bugging me this month. So the Couriers is back and now Louise actually has a chance, but she has a ways to go yet. It's called 'The Long Walk' for a reason folks, and who knows what could happen in the Wastes...**

 **Edit: Forgot that she also grabbed Rad-X**


	17. The Long Walk II

It had been some time since she and the courier, Joe, had set off for the NCR mining camp of Sloan. She had no idea just how far away this camp was, it felt like it had been days since she and this man, Joe, had set off for it. She wasn't sure how long it had been, only that the sun continued to climb higher in the sky. She occasionally cast glances back at the black smoke from Goodpsrings, her gut wrenching every time she did so. She couldn't bring herself to make her look at it for long as she felt her eyes moisten every time, so she just tried to focus her attention on anything but, more often than not the man leading her.

She had a good view of his backpack from where she was walking. It looked a bit worn, but otherwise, it did it's job well enough of securing his goods. She also got a perfect view of two wicked looking, what were they called here 'Bear Traps?' She knew what bears were, and she had seen some traps like this back home, but she had a feeling these were not solely intended for animals.

"Keep scanning the surroundings, especially the rocks. Remember, Powder Ganger territory is not far from here. You see any movement, you tell me." He said bringing her out of her thoughts. "Also, if you see any tin cans or debris on the ground in this area, you avoid it. They like to trap them with explosives that go off when you get too close." He imparted, looking back at her to make sure she understood.

She huffed, but gave an affirmative. This man… her opinion of him hadn't changed much. But then, they were just walking. Every time he opened his mouth, she was reminded of his charming personality. Yes, charming. If cold as a square class wind spell, and blunt as a piece of wood meant charming, then the man in front of her could charm his way into an enchanted brick and mortar wall. She might just help him with that….

The only thing worthy of praise of him so far was his professionalism. She could say many things about him, but she had to admit, the way he carried himself gave her some hope for her own survival. He hadn't spoken much since they set out, but she could understand that part. She didn't want to give away their positions either. Or talk to him just yet.

So she walked… and walked some more for the day. Founder, she was grateful that she got acclimatized to this beforehand. The same could not be said for her backpack. It wasn't even that heavy, but having a weight on one's back during the trek was something she did not like one bit, only being used to simple ammo pouches. Of course, she only had to take a look at Joe's pack to make herself feel a bit ashamed. It was considerably bigger, and looked like it had more goods inside it, plus those traps, and he didn't even look winded.

She did keep an eye out for any miscreants, still not having any idea what these 'Gangers' looked like. Dirty and angry she could imagine. She only heard of them, the unseen bogyman who at most to her, had shot those people back when she first went hunting with Sunny and Luke. Once again, shoving down the melancholy that came with that thought, Louise had no idea what to expect. Just regular brigands with guns was the picture in her head. She felt here eyes flick to various rocks and cover for movement.

Once again drawn out of her thoughts by the man in front of her as he brought up a closed fist. He observed the area up ahead what looked like a small ravine and Louise could see something odd poking up above the ridge a ways away to the left of them. "Alright, we're almost there. There's a small bridge up ahead that we can use to find some shade and take a break. We just need to make sure it's clear first, someone or something, else may have moved in last time I was there. Stay behind me, do what I say when I say it if there's trouble. Clear?" He asked, tilting his head back towards her.

She felt her stomach go for a bit of a loop. She didn't want to see anymore death, not today. Fresh thoughts of Goodpsprings ran through her once more.

"Got it." She stated, getting her laser pistol out. Oh Founder please let there be no one, please let there be no one, _please…._ She wanted no more death near her for the rest of the day.

Her insides felt like it was auditioning for the latest performance arts as both she and Joe approached it from more of a flanking angle. There wasn't much cover inside from fire from opponents. Her grip on her laser pistol increased, bringing it up to bear. As they slowly made their way to it, she noticed that there was a trail of disturbed sand across from the other side of the small crevasse before them.

He held up a hand making her stop as he slowly crept forward his eyes seemingly scanning the ground as he went. _Traps_ Louise thought. Eventually he made it to the stone, silently gesturing her to come forward as he had just done so.

He peered inside, Louise holding back as he did, her grip tighting on her laser pistol, waiting for the crack of gunfire to erupt from the tunnel.

A gust of wind blew some sand from there making her jump slightly, but the man was uncaring. "…it's clear, except for one thing…." He said, moving inside with more confidence, though Louise could tell his eyes were still on the ground, watching for traps. Though, once he reached the other end, he seemed satisfied but he leaned down to one knee and put his hand to the ground. Curious, Louise walked over and saw something she recognized as he pulled his hand away, patting his fingers together with something on them.

She didn't have to ask what it was, and Joe didn't need to be asked. "Blood. Not that old either. Hmm, don't think it's human though. Doesn't feel quite like it." He said, observing the red fluid on his fingers. He cast his eyes back to the disturbed sand. "Something's been through here. But the tracks don't look exactly like coyotes. Looks like something was dragging slightly in the middle." He said, scrutinizing the tracks further.

At that, the young mage suddenly realized with a cold feeling what made these. Gecko's were the only one's she knew dragged their tails, but the paw prints were undeniable While the tail dragging was an anomaly. There was only one other creature that she knew of that could make it."Night Stalkers. It has to be. We fought off an entire pack of them back in Goodpsrings. Sunny did say some of them likely survived out there, but I guess they never got the courage to attack us again." She explained.

Joe seemed to mull it over for a bit. He wiped the blood off. "Well regardless, this place will do for us to get back our strength, and for you to regain your energy. You kept yawning the whole way here. When was the last time you got any sleep?" He said, taking off his pack, letting out a soft groan now that the weight was off his shoulders. Guess it _was_ bothersome for him then. The first real sign that anything was.

And she was yawning? _No I was-_ She let out a long drawn out yawn, and suddenly her eyelids felt like they had gained weight to them. So she was yawning…

"I'd eat something before you take a nap, and be sure to face the other way so we have both entrances covered, just in case those Night Stalkers, or anything else comes along, the bloods not that old. That's one advantage traveling with someone else I guess…" He muttered. "Even in a place as tame as the Mojave, it never pays to drop your guard completely." He said, unclasping his traps from his pack and setting them down.

Louise gave him a look of incredulity. "Tame? You call a land with giant scorpions, giant wasps, bandits, murderous soldiers, and Night Stalkers roaming tame!?" She sharply hissed. This mans attitude grating her once more, making her forget to keep her voice down.

Joe looked her straight unblinking in her eyes and began with a tone that rivaled wood planks in flatness. "Yes. Compared to lands where tornadoes can rage for days on end, where radiation is strong enough to send a glow into the night sky, were civilized soldiers are nowhere to be seen among savages who wear the skins of their enemies as blankets, I think the Mojave is quite tame." He replied smoothly making the young girl gape. She never heard that before. She may have overheard something called 'The Glow' before once or twice, but the tornadoes and savages were news to her.

Only then did Louise notice how, well not old but certainly not in his prime anymore, but aged nonetheless that the man was. There was some noticeable wrinkles by his eyes and on his palms. Not as deep as someone in their elder years, but certainly not a young man anymore.

He reminded her a bit of Jacques in that regard. A man who had seen just what the world had to offer and had a certain weary look about him. Unlike Jacques though, the man wasn't an honorable soldier, he was a self centered drifter.

Heedless of the disdainful thoughts, he spoke."And keep your distance. Probably best to make that medicine last eh? Don't wanna use it unless you have to."

Oh, that. Brimir above, it had been taken as a given by her she was ashamed to admit. She had that system in place for so long… she missed it. Sitting here under this bridge in the dirt… she felt an intense sens of longing. To just be back there. Talking with Mitchell during dinner, training with Sunny and Luke, hunting, working at the saloon... all of that was over now. No more little routines, no more bed, no more friends. Much like her situation with home, the true reality of the situation clasped her in it's hand, and she felt a numbness spread throughout her body. Her home was gone, and she wasn't getting that one back.

She didn't cry though, which surprised even her. She really must be all out of that was the case. But the look Joe gave her told a different tale.

"Hey, I said eat something and drink something before you start crying. Don't need you getting dehydrated." He said retrieving what looked to be two bottles of water right next to his traps.

"You could do to be more upset by this you know. They helped you." She repeated, still not giving the man any less of a glare than she had before.

He sighed."I know. But that was a month ago, and I haven't seen them since. I am not happy about it, and I certainly don't like the fact the NCR did something like this. I don't have the history you had them. And I've seen my fair share of towns burn." He replied, having produced a surprisingly large bundle of sticks wrapped together from his pack. She barely noticed as she continued her rant.

"And you are not mad at them? We need to bring them to justice!" She hissed at him.

"You can do what you want when I drop you off at Nipton. Until then, I suggest we avoid running into them. It'll just make both of our lives complicated." He said, eyeing something behind her, making her turn, before turning back and looking the other way confusing the girl. He turned back to her.

"Well, we cannot just leave let them get away with this! We have to do something."

"It'll probably sort itself out. Killing off a town? No matter how you look at it the NCR is in deep shit right now. They pulled something like that before with Bitter Springs, and that was against an officially declared enemy and it still hurt them. That tends to happen when you kill pregnant women, children and elderly. Makes you look no better than the Legion. But just hold those thoughts for a bit. I need to set these traps just in case. Like I said, tame as it is, you shouldn't let your guard down for too long."

With that, the man left the shade and fuming girl under the bridge and ventured out into the sun, though she did seem him up on an overlooking ridge placing the trap, and he passed through again, setting it up on another slight ridge, and then he seemed to do the same. He didn't come straight back though, he spent a little bit of time just outside the bridge area, Louise hearing sounds of what sounded like him shifting sand and pebbles.

When he returned he plopped down, him, finally looking the slightest bit winded. "That should catch anyone looking to snipe us, or they'll be forced the trip it, warning us. Also placed shrubbery sticks just beneath the sand, so if anyone tries to sneak up on us, we'll hear them coming. But I'm sure those bottles of water will be rather tempting for anyone." He listed off, reaching for for a leather flask and taking a drink of water.

Louise looked to both ridges, only now finally realizing the threat they posed. She hadn't thought of that. Stupid, she knew what their guns were capable of now she should have.

Joe unzipped his bag, pulling out what looked to be a box of 'cram'. It reminded of her long gone Sugar bombs. He sat it in between them, him facing one entrance and her facing the other sitting down.

"This will have to do for now. Should give us strength to keep going for a bit."

"… thank you for doing this." She said, forcing herself to thank him. Really, given his attitude, she should count herself luck she was getting this.

"Hm," He grumbled out.

"It's just surprising you care to do this, considering..." She couldn't resist a job though.

"Like I said, there is nothing to be done about it. They are all dead, and us gallivanting off for revenge will only end up taking away your survivor status. And as before, they will likely suffer the consequences for it regardless. Justice will come; after all I highly doubt the man in New Vegas will take kindly to the NCR taking this course of action if he cared enough to have one of his robots there."

She felt as though she had been slapped upside the head as she fought off the urge to do just that to herself for forgetting him so soon. "House…. Oh Founder I forgot about him! Victor was likely his eyes and ears so that means…."

"Even if he was destroyed, I doubt the sound of gunfire and people dying would go unnoticed by the robot."

"Then why didn't he help!? He just had him stay out of the fight so he could watch!?"

"I asked the robot the same thing after the Powder Ganger fight. He said he'd been shut down remotely. I guess House didn't want him getting damaged in the fighting. I can only assume he did the same thing for your battle. Even if he didn't witness the fight, I think he would have realized something was up."

"Fat lot of good that thing did. If we just had a little extra help, maybe we could have won. Could have saved… somebody. Anybody." She trailed off, a pained tone in her voice.

"But that didn't happen. I don't know his reasoning for why he did, but have you put any thought into going to him? An eyewitness to it might be useful, put more pressure on the NCR." Joe replied, taking a few bites of his food.

Her eyes hardened, a dangerous glint reflecting in them. "No. I didn't want to before, I'm certainly not going to now. Maybe that's why he did it. Maybe he wanted me to lose my sanctuary so I would be far more likely to come to him." She spat bitterly. The thought sickened her. Manipulating her to join his cause, like she would just forget about that. Damn that man. He just took away her only protection, her _home_ , and he expected her to just come running to him and forgive him? No. He could jump right off that tower of his for all she cared.

Joe raised an eyebrow at that."Why would he do that for one random girl?"

And of course, she had to go through this process again. She really was back at square one wasn't she? Of course, she didn't really have to say anything to him and she didn't feel like it. "It's complicated. He does have an interest in me though, I can tell you that much, but…." She wasn't sure if revealing her own past was a good idea in this present time.

The man simply shrugged. "If you do not wish to say, that's fine by me. Your business is your own." He said, shrugging his shoulders and opening the box next to him, peeling off the top metal part and dropping some of the packed meat into his hands and eating it.

She hmmed. Well that was good. They both sat in relative silence besides an occasional breeze and Joe's eating. She fidgeted in place, aware of just how awkward she felt. He was for all intents and purposes a stranger. He was right, it had been a month since she'd seen him. He made a joke at her expense and then walked out of Goodpsrings forever. She didn't want to dwell on that now.

She supposed she should try at least to talk to him now. He was her only protection and actual talking partner for a while.

"So, what about you? What have you been doing since you left? Well If you want to tell me." She was aware of the hypocrisy of the question to be sure, but it was either this or sitting in silence and letting Goodpsrings dominate her thoughts.

Thankfully, Joe didn't seem to mind and answered in between his meal. "I have done odd jobs here and there, mostly concerning Primm. Wouldn't do to have my main source of employment under gang control now would it? I've known Primm better than Goodsprings, and I had the time to sort out problems. That's part of the reason why I'm out here remember. They sent me out here full up on casseroles for the miners so they don't go hungry or have to hunt. probably not totally necessary, but Ruby was adamant. The caps helped too." He said.

"So you still haven't put any plans to go after the men who shot you?" Her eyes flicked to his head wound.

"No. Just by hunting, and helping the NCR out with a particularly nasty ant problem, I am doing quite well for myself. Though now that it has been sorted out, I admit, have begun to get an urge to Novac, the place where that man went next. Primm is under control, and Sloan won't need me to run food and drink out for them with the NCR closer by now. I have nothing better to do really." He said shrugging.

"Most people wouldn't just ignore an attempt on their life. Or theft." She pointed out.

He shrugged in response. "He's hardly the first to land a serious hit on me, and not the first to get away with doing so. The first with a head shot maybe, but a bound man at point blank range, doesn't really say much for his actual combat prowess. The Khans he was with had more of a right to be feared. But why would I? I just want to survive really, didn't see how going after them would help, get back to being a courier. But, with the bureaucracy the NCR is likely going through with Primm, I doubt any packages will come through for a while."

"So you're only going to go after him cause your bored?" She snorted derisively.

"More or less. Nipton is directly on the path to Novac anyway so that's where I'm heading next. Just a word of warning though, keep your gun by you at all times. That town has a rotten smell to it."

Great, so that meant even this wasn't even a true act of kindness. Wonderful. Still, she figured she should find out about her next place of residence, especially one with such a low reputation.. "Just how dangerous is it?"

"Well, the townsfolk themselves are more likely to con you than rob you outright. Especially that mayor. Eyes like he plucked them out of a snake's head himself. And, there is something odd about that area. People seem to go missing around there recently."

"And you're sending me there?" She asked slowly.

"If you wish to avoid the NCR, then like I said, it is your best bet. I am not denying that staying in that town has its own risks however. There's a reason everyone calls it a shit hole. But starting as much as a month and a half ago, missing persons reports started coming in, mostly New Californian tourists. The town just passes it off by saying 'it's dangerous in this area'. No one can prove otherwise however, and the NCR can't really do anything about it much."

"Oh great. They let a hive of scum and villainy go free while killing off the good towns. Bravo you useless little-" She roughly kicked a rock that was by her foot sending it careening outside the shade. She felt her anger return as she silently fumed under the bridge.

She heard a chuckle from him, though even she doubted there was true humor in it. Even she could hear some bitterness in his voice. "So it would seem. But enough talk. Eat, drunk, rest up, and we'll head out within the hour." With that, the man dug into his food properly.

She eyed the open container next to her. Not feeling in the mood to do anything else, Louise eventually complied, eating her food before getting as comfortable as she could for a brief nap, silently praying that she didn't dream of Goodpsrings.

...

If there was one thing she missed, it was gecko meat. It was certainly better than that glorified dirt and grit that was in that box. Founder she hadn't realized just how lucky she had it hunting her own food than relying on Pre War crap. Took more than a few swigs of water to even make a dent in then stubborn foul taste that lingered. The only good thing was, now she had something else to focus on.

She was waiting just outside of Sloan, yawning slightly as she did. She managed to get some sleep in, and though it wasn't a full night's sleep, she could feel the difference already. She didn't feel quite as sluggish, her mind a tad sharper her feet just enough lighter to avoid them dragging her to the dirt. Her Pip Boy was temporarily off her wrist and in her pack just to be safe in hiding her identity. Her pink locks are stuffed inside her hood as tight as they would fit as well. She did her best to avoid drawing any more than idle glances, keenly aware that these men could start yelling and shooting at her. And to think, she avoided going with the Lost to avoid this very scenario...

She idly observed the camp before her. It looked to be a collection of simple wooden shacks and down the road she could spot the white and gray rocks of the quarry. And those odd metal objects jutting over the top of the walls. There was a surprising amount of people in it for such a small 'town' all clamoring to Joe as he delivered his goods to the waiting hungry men. Joe seemed to be the man of the hour among them, some even slapping him on the back in appreciation.

She spotted something in the camp emerging from a small wooden house next to a building and even from where she stood, she couldn't help but feel a little repulsed. It was a pinkish brownish color and completely devoid of fur with small eyes and two big upper teeth . It appeared to be limping. Given by Joe's cold personality, she expected anything other than him walking over to it, kneeling and... petting it. He took the bad leg in his hands, observing it closely. She felt herself do a double take at the sight. The man who brushed off the slaughter of a town, seemed to go out of his way to help that thing?

She couldn't see the actual procedure due to others getting in the way, but it was unexpected from him. He cares for animals more than people maybe? It seemed possible, the callous man.

Eventually, the dark skinned man seemed to conclude his business, giving a shake to another man with a fairly long graying beard and wearing an odd yellow helmet as the creature was rubbing his legs as he left the camp. He soon turned towards her, though as he neared her he held out an odd object in his hand, tossing them to her, and making her look at the odd thing.

"What are these?" She asked, observing the glasses like objects.

"Goggles. I realized I forgot something, you're gonna need those if we get into a fight. Sand and pebbles flying everywhere from bullets, and probably explosives could easily blind or stun you long enough for someone to plug you. We're going to be heading into Power Ganger territory now, so I figured I'd better take care of that. I was able to bargain for it for getting NCR in the area now, so they won't need to rely on little old me and hunting. Don't think they heard exactly what happened in Goodpsrings, but I'm sure they will soon enough. We shouldn't stay here too long, just to be safe."

She bit her lip at the reminder, casting a glance at the men in the camp, some observing them with interest which she could feel. Most though were preoccupied with other things, like the newly acquired food from Joe, not wasting much time getting into whatever he delivered.

"Also, you were right, it was a Night Stalker. The miners say they shot a mother with some pups when she got too close. Didn't kill her, but she did head off in the direction of the bridge. I'm sure she's dead by now, but it's something to keep in mind in case scavengers come for her corpse." He explained, looking out to the empty land, the sun ever so slightly starting to lower in the sky. There was still plenty of time, but it was another worry. She maneuvered the giggle strap around her hood in the back as best she could.

"Really? A mother and pups?" She asked idly.

"Yes. I'm assuming it's from the same group that you fought. They were likely trying to get food for their pups, as Night Stalkers are known for having many babies. But a lone mother with that many mouths to feed would need a pack to help her. From the sound of it, she tried to pick off a miner but got shot before she could."

Louise had not forgotten that night. She still could hear the distorted growls and howling as clear as day and the visage of coyote and snake fused together in such a grotesque way. She did not regret blowing the things to the afterlife, and pups or not she would do it again. She wasn't Catt. Some things just deserved to be wiped out.

He chuckled."It's funny. Deathclaws just down the road, and what nearly gets them is that."

"Deathclaws?" She asked, titling her head in question. She had heard of them before, but for some reason, she was getting an odd feeling when she herd it now. Like a nagging feeling at the base of her neck.

"You seriously haven't hear din all that time? Road north of here is infested with the things, the quarry too."

Louise again had the strangest feeling she was forgetting something. Something... but what? Something so obvious, and recent how could she for- oh. _Oh._ Oh by the Founders eternal guidance how could she have forgotten that!?

"Oh... Founder. I just remebered. I think I saw one. Outside the quarry. When I was running away, a soldier followed me and then A Deathclaw torn him in half and it looked right at me..." Louise couldn't believe that she forgot something like that. It was the most horrifying creature she had seen on this world s far, it's long claws begin the stuff of nightmares.

"Really? That far? Hm. Well, they did say that the quarry has other exits on the sides. Better quick warn them so that other travels can be aware. But, if it saw you as well, why didn't it kill you?" Joe asked, a curious look on his features.

"I..." Louise let her mouth hang open in question as an answer. She had forgotten than as well. So much was happening in such a little time, that she simply had no time to dwell on any of these thing.

"I don't know. It just looked at me and then ran off." She recounted.

He gave her a flat look. "Louise, Deathclaws don't just 'run off'. They are the most dangerous thing wandering the lands, legends of the wasteland practically. But why for you?"

"I don't know alright? I just remember looking at it, feeling terrified and then it just ran away."

There was silence between them. She was beginning to squirm under his gaze and he was giving her a look that she couldn't quite pin down.

"...Joe?" She asked.

He was silent for a few moment slonger before she seemingly shook it off, blinking. "It's nothing. Anyway, keep those goggles on hand. I know that a small outpost not terribly far eastward, so we're going to have to give it a wide berth. Still no guarantee, they need to hunt too. And we aren't going anywhere near their base, the prison. It'll be a hike, but once we're though it, there should be some railroad tracks that should be a clean shot straight to Nipton."

Louise nodded, not wanting to swell on this subject herself, both for time and personal issues, began adjusting her pack. Whatever the reason, she would have to deal with it another time. As it stood, neither of them could answer it anyway, so there was no point in lingering on it. After popping back tino camp quick to warn the miners about the Deathclaw she saw he returned without incident.

"If there's nothing else to be done, I think we can head out any time. Would be best to get there as soon as possible. For both our sake." He said.

The girl looked upon the open landscape of desert before her. Some hills in the distance under a gradually setting sun, she was heading straight into the wild. She remembered the stories she heard back in the Saloon. She only had those to go on for what was out there. Powder Gangers, Legion, mutants she hadn't seen yet, random crazies... and she had little protection against them now. She was about to literally head off the beaten path with a man she just met and entrust him to help her.

Casting another glance towards the ruins of Goodpsrings, the smoke now starting to thin, she gave."Let's go." She said softly.

The response was the sound of sand and pebbles being stepped on as Joe began leading the back and catching up to him, they both began walking into the gradually setting sun.

...

No one had said a word since they left Goodpsrings. Morrigan had tossed all the collected casings off somewhere into the wasteland desert. The surviving solders behind him hadn't voiced any protest. Good. He needed the quite to work out how he was going to sort this all out. He ignored the occasionally green uniformed body hanging either from ancient lamp posts, power poles, or occasional tree by them. Though they seemed fit to occasionally speak to him, in that same dry raspy tone.

'You know you're delusional right? You're not going to keep this secret for very long. For fucks sake, House probably saw the whole thing. And you think you can cover this up?' The voice whispered to him.

'What about the men and women? You ruined their lives. If not professionally, personally. You know what it's like, doing something like that, how it changes you, how it follows you.'

He still said nothing, though his eyes flicked. Was it wrong? No. He knew they were going to relive this day for many nights to come. Goodsprings would appear in their nightmares, the people and place in crisp detail. These men and women were going to carry this til they day they died, because of him.

And that was assuming everything went fine on the first front. Did those thing shave the ability to record visuals? If House had a hand in them, he had to assume so. House probably did know everything. He might not have had much personal investment in the town, but Morrigan knew he stood to benefit from this. The NCR was seen as invaders by a not insignificant portion of the Mojave population. And Goodsprings was a prime opportunity for House to gain leverage over them. Hank was willing to wager his own head that the man in the tower didn't actually give two Super Mutant shitfulls about Goodsprings or it's people, but merely using them as a tool.

He knew a thing or two about twisting such things to suit a purpose. He wasn't even really condemning him, just being realistic on the politicking that was likely to happen.

And that would be his only chance. Him doing something to convince House not to reveal the information. But what? The only thing interesting happening in that town recently was that courier who got shot a while back, and that... that girl.

The one who was the sole purpose of him even being there. He saw her pink hair flying in the wind as she bolted from the fight. He did recall Mr. New Vegas mentioning her on the radio a couple of times. What did that boy say about her? That she couldn't even fire a gun? Odd. Only the richest of barons and other elites could claim something like that. But they were often times Vertibird parents, not being far from their 'pride and joy.' Though even Morrigan had to admit that often resulted in a walking ball of snob that was protected from any and all consequences.

So why no word? Surely a ruckess would have been kicked up if a barons daughter got lost. And why didn't the Lost do anything? Granted, they killed soldiers exclusively, but they also weren't above of occasionally at the very least harassing powerful barons as they saw them as driving smaller rancher out of business. He didn't see them helping one of them given their track record.

Well, it wasn't much, but it was something. When he got to Primm, he made a note to try and get some information on her. He had a feeling that something was off about her.

...

* * *

 **Fucking. Christ. August was not kind for my writing time. Sorry for the short and more or less a transition chapter but it's the best I can do right now. At least my Fanfic issue has been mostly resolved...**


	18. The Long Walk III

It hadn't been long since the pair first entered Powder Ganger territory. It surprised Louise when she didn't receive whiplash from the sudden back and forth motion her life was doing fairly often. She felt like these were her first days on this blasted world. She felt she was nothing more than a terrified child running away from the horrors of the Mojave.

At least, she stopped running from the scorpions. That still happened from time to time, even with her improvements in Goodpsrings. The larger scorpions took a lot of ammo to put down, her measly pistol almost unable to keep up. Her laser sidearm was more effective, but still, she'd rather not waste it on oversized insects if she could. Louise and Joe hadn't seen much since entering the gang's territory. Just more of those flying bugs she encountered so long ago, Bloatflies.

Watching them gave her memories of blowing the disgusting things up and leaving one to be eaten by a scorpion. Of course, they claimed her school shoe. She had to admit it was a draw. They weren't causing any trouble, opting to simply hover over what looked to be filthy mud pits. Both man and girl sought fit to avoid them and wander deeper into the desert.

The scenery marginally changed. There was still the shrubbery, rocks, the sound of crickets and the occasional breeze of hot dry wind. She could see higher terrain off in the distance from where they were, and it seemed to her they were heading towards that. Joe did say a railroad track ran through, though unlike the ones in Harvey's home this one wasn't in operation. She wouldn't be seeing any working trains from the sounds of it.

As she cast glances around her once more, she couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability of being in the open. With the knowledge of guns, open spaces made her feel the entire landscape had its eyes trained on her. She kept her hand by her laser sidearm, the thoughts of fighting having dominated her mind for while now, as they had been before.

She was dreading an encounter with the convicts. She offered more than her fair share of prayer as not to run into them during this part of the trip. She didn't want to kill. She didn't want more blood on her hands. Every sound, every movement out of the corner of her eyes, made her body tense, and her heart skip a beat. Pebbles and sand would shift due to wind and she'd tense. The shadows and blur out of the corner of her eyes, always moved with hostile intent. But nothing so far had come of it. She reminded herself that even Joe made no promises on avoiding danger.

Of course, they did find something while traveling. Blood, and tracks. Familiar tracks too. Joe didn't kneel to confirm what sort of tracks these were. A mere glance was enough for his trained eyes.

"Hmph. Tough one aren't ya? Alright, looks like we might just run into her. Blood doesn't look too old. So, she's probably in the area. Bad news for us since anything in the area is going to smell that and home in on it. But then again, if she's fresh enough, it might be a good chance for us to get some food." He said.

Louise shuddered at the thought of actually eating snake and coyote fused meat.

"But, I thought they said she had pups?" Louise said, noting that only one other set of tracks was beside the mothers.

He nodded. "They did. That's why I find it odd that there ain't no more tracks around her. But then, maybe they got killed already. Maybe something picked them off, or maybe they got scared and ran off by themselves. Maybe, there's not even a pup left."

Louise hesitated before asking. "And if there is?"

"Well, I've had some thoughts about that myself. Made some plans for it. We'll see what happens." He said ambiguously.

"What does that mean?" She asked, frowning at the vague answer.

"Just what it means. If it comes up, I have an idea." He said and continued the march on, pink haired girl right behind him.

She didn't like the sound of that. She hated vagueness. They were supposed to rely on each other! With a huff of annoyance she got in line behind him again. The tracks veered to the right. Joe didn't follow them, but he was keeping one eye out that way, as was she. The Night Stalker had traveled a long way already. She didn't know just how much farther it ventured, but...

Then she heard something, a low-pitched pained howl. "That sounds like one of them." She said, remembering the cacophony of the slaughter on that night. The growl matched, but the pained and pathetic tone was undeniable even for her. There was no question, the Night Stalker was just out of sight.

"Then we should deal with this quickly. Come." Joe said, jogging towards the source, Louise not far behind.

It didn't sound distant. The cries were closer with every step, and she could begin to hear it clearly. It sounded like it was coming over the nearby hill.

And then, coming over the hilltop, they finally laid eyes on the sight. Louise found herself before something that gave her pause.

Lying in the hot sand at the hill's bottom between a dead bush and some large rocks was a Night Stalker mother and a single pup rubbing it's head on her back, vocalizing its distress. The mother was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to her stomach. She was a tough one to have survived as long as she did. Blood still flowed onto the sand, though the sand around the mother looked relatively undisturbed. This must have just happened. She wasn't long for this world, even Louise could see that.

When the Night Stalkers attacked on that night, Louise envisioned them akin to demons, monsters that deserved nothing less than extermination. Louise admitted to these feelings not that long ago. But this… she found herself void of previous opinions.

The pup tried again in vain to move its protector. It pushed with its small scaly head, but no matter how hard its hind paws strained against the ground, the mother wasn't moving.

"Without a pack and with only babies, I doubt she would have an easy time keeping them safe. They need many members to collect enough food. Their venom helps, but their small form necessitates many for large prey." Joe explained.

"Yes. There was a lot of torn up Radscorpions in our hunting areas so we knew something moved into the vicinity. I must have killed fifteen of the things, but I... I didn't think about..." She trailed off, not noticing the perplexed stare Joe gave her when she mentioned how many Night Stalkers she'd slain.

Still trying, trying in vain, to get its mother up, the pup suddenly spotted the two humans. It jumped away, vocalizing an odd combination of a hissing and yelping. The fur on its hind legs hackled out to make itself seem larger. Its rattlesnake tail began shaking, mismatched eyes wide as it stared them down.

The mother lifted her head and turned to face them. Despite her state, she did her best to rouse herself and rattle her tail. Her attempts to stand failed. She kept crumpling to the ground in a dusty heap. Her tail was unable to match the noise of her baby's. The damage on the tail was severe, not having the strength to carry it above the rough rocks and sand. A faint trail could be seen leading to her current resting place. Louise heard faint growls and hisses from the wounded mother, coyote legs struggling to move, unable to stand.

The lone pup audibly whimpered. Having been briefly broken its growling returned. Bravely, it tried its best to scare off the humans. Louise couldn't tear her eyes away, and perhaps it was just her imagination, but she swore that the pup was glaring at her. Its gaze seemed to linger on her more than her companion.

"They too had a family." Joe's tone was oddly soft, faint emotion creeping into his voice.

Louise said nothing, even as a twisting cold knotted in her gut. Guilt she realized. Much like how the NCR razed Goodsprings, she had struck down this pup's family. It was in self-defense, but witnessing the results of her actions stung. She hadn't thought twice about the consequences. She still would have done it, her friends took priority of course, but perhaps even against these monstrosities it wasn't quite as black and white as she thought. Like Joe said, they too had a family. One who she had stolen...

The mother's movements were beginning to ever so gradually ebb away.

"Well... shall we kill the pup?" Joe asked, his usual detached and cool mannered tone having returned. It snapped her attention to him with shock.

"W-what?"

"It's going to die a far slower death if we leave it. Either from the elements or predators, it will die. It's not quite old enough to be on its own. Pup's begun weaning I think, but it still needs someone to look after it. I'm not going to. So a mercy kill wou-"

"No!" Louise yelled, cutting him off.

Joe turned in time to miss the startled jump the pup gave at the noise.

"You didn't seem to care earlier."

"Because it was a damn animal I..." She stopped herself, knowing her words would be hollow even to her.

"So, that's a no then?"

"I don't want to kill it!" She exclaimed.

"Then perhaps you would like it if we took it along?" He suggested, astounding the pink haired girl beside him.

"What!?" She turned to face him, flabbergasted.

He shrugged. "It's young enough to be trained. As I said, Nipton ain't going to be a soft roost for you Louise, and I'm not going to stick around for long. You know having a protector in that town would be a good." He pointed out.

Louise cast a glance back to the creatures, the mother not even trying to get up anymore. The Night Stalker growled and weakly rattled her tail.

"Not to mention, it's venom." Joe continued. "As long as you keep it fed, you could make a decent amount of caps by harvesting the venom and selling it. It's an ingredient for many a wasteland recipes, but getting it is always tricky... however not in this case. I could show you how to harvest it."

"You're asking if I want to take along this... thing?!" She gestured wildly to the hybrid below them.

His gaze followed her hands and fell onto the two Night Stalkers. "Yep," he replied and idly scratched his chin hair in thought.

"You're crazy. We can't just take this thing with us. We've already got enough problems, we don't need to add more."

"Well Louise, those are our options. Either we leave it or drive it off, leaving it to its own devices. Kill it to prevent a slow death, or we try and tame it. I'm not saying it won't come with its own problems if we take it, but it might be worth it for you in the long run." Joe casually explained, never once taking his eyes off the mother and baby. His face was a calm cool contrasting with a flustered and nervous Louise.

Louise turned to face them as well, biting her lip hard. What should they do? Joe was right. Those options were all that was on the table. If they left it here, there was little hope it could survive on its own. She had no doubts a little thing such as this would make an easy meal for pretty much anything out here. And then, dying of thirst or hunger didn't seem like a better path. In truth, it was cruelty to abandon it.

But taking it with them? It didn't look anywhere near ready to cooperate with them, much less be tamed. Being just a baby it probably wouldn't be undoable, just enough to give them trouble. The creature in question stared at her with mismatched blue and yellow eyes, one pupil round and the other a snake's narrow slit. Its gaze locked onto her. As it did, Louise felt a notable wave of guilt pass through her again.

It was as if, it knew she was responsible for its fate. She killed its pack, took away its safety, and its family. She realized the mother was quiet now and a moment later a second realization came. The mother wasn't growling or hissing anymore. It didn't struggle. It lay there, breathing softly. Only the rattling of the juvenile remained and its pathetic attempts at appearing threatening, puffing out the fuzz on its flanks and ears, and baring its fangs.

It wasn't doing a good job. Even Louise could tell that it likely wouldn't charge them. It was all alone now, at the mercy of two humans. One of which, was responsible for killing its entire family. And it just kept staring at her, accusingly. Its eyes and hers were locked. Under the desert sun a painful cold enveloped Louise.

Emotion welled up in her, tears stinging her eyes as the moisture collected. She didn't mean to do it. She didn't know it would do this! She destroyed another family... just like Goodsprings. So much death, all because of her.

"Louise?" Joe asked, sounding as if he were behind a brick wall.

It was overwhelming. She felt the tears freely fall now, burning her dry cheeks. A rancid stench of burnt meat settled over the area, and her head hurt intensely. Fear tightened its grip around her throat. Her breathing increased rapidly, her stomach doing its best to try and cartwheel out of her midsection. She couldn't think straight, memories of Goodpsrings flooding her, feelings of guilt and fear so strong, she felt it could cause a sandstorm to happen right then and carry her off into the distance. At least, certainly felt that way internally. She couldn't get a straight thought out through the images of her home being destroyed, strange men gunning down her sib-

"Louise!" She was roughly grabbed by the courier, her attention returning to the present.

The words left her the moment Joe had grabbed her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I-" She rapidly stammered, surprising herself by the level of emotion in her voice.

There was firm look on Joe's face as he squeezed his grip. Reassuring her? "Louise... you're scaring it." He said, gesturing to the pup.

She blinked, trying to clear away the tears, and found that the pup was now snarling, snapping at the air, and with viciousness she didn't realize until then was possible for such a young thing. It had urinated apparently, a dark moist spot of sand spread out underneath its tiny body. It violently shook in place, but amazingly it didn't cower, let alone turn to run away. A quick glance at its mother told Louise all she needed to know.

Joe looked back at her, softening his grip, but… "Look, I know. I know you feel bad, but you have a chance to help this one. It's scared and alone, and you're not helping the situation."

"But I-" Louise felt compelled to argue.

"You protected your family." He said with a strong level of conviction. It was enough to grab her focus, pulling her away from her rampant maelstrom of thoughts and emotions.

Protect her family... Yeah right. She ran like a coward. She froze up. She couldn't protect them when it really mattered. She killed two families, one out of malice, and one out of incompetence. What could she possibly do?

"I know. I know. The town meant a lot to you, and you defended them. Just as the Night Stalkers tried to get food for their family. I'm not accusing you by saying that. I wasn't. I'm sorry if it felt that way. I was merely saying they aren't evil beasts. Just animals. One of which we can tame." He said, glancing down at the baby mutant.

He turned back to look at her again, and spoke with a level of earnestness she wasn't sure he had before. "Believe me, I'm the last sort of person to judge people too harshly."

"It's not just that! I didn't defend my family. I ran! Do you have any words to make that better!? Any to hide how badly I screwed up!?" She snapped at him. Though in her fit of hysteria there was a childish naive part of her that hoped he could.

"No. I cannot. That is indeed, your mistake. And I don't say that to condemn you. I have made mistakes too, but right now, it is not helping to dwell on it. That pup right there, down there, is something we can save. But I need you to stop acting hysterical for a moment and listen to me."

His words were firm and eyes even more so. A cold but needed discipline was in those words as she felt the tremors lessen. Her breathing slowed and steadied.

Seeing her calm, Joe released her from his grasp.

As he did so Louise shook her head, not quite sure what had come over her.

She blinked several times, confusion clearing her mind and now fully processing what had just happened. What in Founder's name came over her? That... what was that!? She couldn't understand why those emotions came over her. Sure she was feeling bad over it, but that... was over excessive. All she had achieved was a rather painful headache.

There wasn't much time to dwell on it though. Joe tapped her shoulder when she spaced out thinking it over.

"How?" She asked. "How could we possibly tame it?" It looked like the pup was still staring at her, now considerably calmer. Its shaking now a slight tremble, so she took that as a plus.

"Well, we have meat. I'm sure it's hungry. Again, it looks old enough to be in the weaning stage. Maybe just giving it food might be enough to get it to follow us" He got out the box of 'Cram' and gotten a piece of the Pre War meat in hand.

"Are you sure it will be safe?"

"Nothing's certain, but I feel like it's a gamble that has a good chance of succeeding. Unless you wish for a more deadly option for the pup." He inquired with a tilt of his head.

"No, just... be careful alright?" She said. The pup might be small but those fangs looked large enough. And weren't baby snakes more dangerous? She'd heard that somewhere before.

"I aim to." With that, Joe took ff his pack to make himself seem smaller, and crouched to the ground, and slowly made his way down the hill, doing his best not to make sudden movements.

The pup looked between them, trying to keep an eye on both. It rattled and growled.

What if this didn't work? What if Joe was bit? What if they had to shoot it anyway? So many things could go wrong. Oh why did I agree to this!?

The pup took two aggressive steps forward. It snarled, prompting the man to place his hand near his gun out of reflex.

Louise bit back a yelp, tensing for either a shot or a bite.

Please... don't attack. Just take the food. She thought furiously, hoping that violence could be avoided.

The pup, thankfully, softened its stance. Joe took that chance to toss the food towards it. She could see it sniff the air, its forked tongue whipping in and out adding taste to its keen senses. Still keeping a wary set of eyes on both of them, the pup crouched to the ground, tail held high, as it slowly crawled forward until it was just in reach of the food. With a snap of its jaws and lash of its tongue the meat was swiftly in the mouth of the baby animal. it hopped backwards as fast as it could and savagely chewed the aged meal.

Louise watched, holding her breath for a second. It seemed to have a positive effect. It wasn't rattling, or even growling anymore. But there was a level of uncertainty still present. And for some reason, it kept turning it's gaze towards her more often than not, even with Joe being the closer of the two.

"I think he wants you, Louise. Come down here nice and slow."

She hesitated, but seeing the pup consistently linger on her told her that Joe had a point. She really hoped she wasn't going to regret this. Slowly, she made her way down the hill, taking off her pack, and finally joined her companion and mutant pup.

This didn't feel right, the situation bugged her. "Something's not right here. This feels too easy. Not even my sister had this sort of luck with animals." She said. It was true. Even Cattleya needed far more time than this, usually. Something about this was off.

Joe didn't seem to care for the reasons, however. He just plopped some cram in her hand. "You want to save it don't you?" He asked, gesturing his head at the mutant puppy.

She held her gaze on Joe before sighing. Carefully she moved forward, food in hand as the pup eyed her. It wasn't growling, just softly rattling. She realized, once again it was ignoring something in favor if her, this time being the very food she held.

Please just take the food. It still kept its eyes on her, only giving a passing glance at the cram before it. Her arm started shaking from the strain of holding it out.

I just want something to go right, just this once. Please!

In a flash of movement, it snatched the food out of her hands. Louise yelped as it did. It chomped it down, chewing and tearing the meat into bites. Once it finished, its eyes returned to stare at her. Both girl and pup held each other's gaze, neither diverting their sight from the other. She could see the nostrils opening and closing, it having more breath in it than she did in that moment.

It lasted about ten second before it started to walk forward... she kept her trembling hands outstretched… and the pup began furiously licking her open palms. It was making a series of sounds as it did, nuzzling its head in her hands, all traces of hostility gone, now replaced by pure affection. The scaly fuzzball pushed further up to her. She let out a breath that had remained stagnant in her chest for some time as relief flooded her system in a way she imagined only alcohol could hope to achieve. She couldn't believe it. It actually worked!

The pup nuzzled its head in her stomach and Louise held her breath again. But it didn't bite her. It just continued affectionately snuggling her as if she were its very own mother. She hesitatingly put her hands to its side, and felt the odd and slightly disgusting feeling of scale meeting flesh and fur. It had a few traces of baby fuzz on its fur, but for the most part it did seem like it was nearing leaving its mother anyway.

"I didn't think we would succeed. This was far too easy. I've never had this sort of luck with animals." She said through the pups affectionate gestures and she smiled despite her doubts. The pup's vocalizations reverberated through her arms, tickling her.

"Well, regardless, we got ourselves a new pup. Or rather, you do. It's been a while since I've seen an animal claim someone that quick as their mother." Joe said, actually grinning as the pup rubbed her belly with its head.

Despite the eager baby, she wasn't deaf to what he had said. 'It's been a while?' So, did that mean he'd seen it before? It would explain his confidence that this would work. A bit too confident, if she was honest with herself. Perhaps it was just the bigger gap in experience out here, but something wasn't quite right about all this...

His grin faltered, and the expression he had made, it looked like he wanted to slap himself. "Uh, Louise, maybe we should check the time on your last rad-X shot..."

Oh of course, the radiation! She looked down at the pup who had stopped rubbing its head against her, and stared up at her with wide mismatched eyes, one pupil round and the other a snake's slit. They were appropriately cute and horrifying oddly enough, contrasting even more than its fuzzy ears atop its scaly head.

She couldn't help herself. The poor thing looked worried it had done something wrong. She wanted to reassure it, but restrained the urge to stroke it. "It's not your fault." She cooed then turned her gaze back at the man. "I guess this is one of those 'problems' you mentioned?"

He had the decency to look a bit sheepish at his error at least. "Yeah, that's something I'm really not used to. Alright, better get to it." He said, going back up the hill to get their packs, and her medecine.

Well, at least she had managed to avoid another fight. And the pup provided some entertainment, nuzzling and licking her hands. It reacted with more head rubs, and she finally gave in and stroked its back, albeit with a lingering sense of wariness as she felt its scales. Finding some courage, she rubbed its fuzzy ears. They were surprisingly soft and tender.

 _Why oh why couldn't I have just summoned you?_ She thought, a mix of bitterness and amusement tinging the sentiment.

Joe returned pack in hand. he offered to apply the shot to her while she petted the mutant pup. After that was done, Joe looked back on the mother's corpse.

"Wonder if we should stick around to clean her?"

Louise snapped her head to stare at him, and she felt a wave of revulsion pass through her. "Clean the mother!?" She gasped in horror. The pup too seemed share at her horror, attempting to hide its head under her legs.

Joe shrugged. "We could use the meat to eat or sell. I know it's a bit ghoulish, but we won't feed the pup her meat, and Night Stalkers tend to go for a good price in general. Just need to check the damage..."

He walked over and inspected the corpse, but as he did, Joe paused, his face contorted into a frown. "Well, looks like the miners weren't the only ones to run into her..."

Curious, Louise walked over, with the pup choosing to shadow her ankles, and once she saw what Joe had seen, she gasped. "Powder Gangers." She breathed.

Joe nodded, letting the corpse rest fully now. "Only ones who it could have been... dammit. Knew it was odd she didn't have more pups. They might be tracking her. We don't have time to clean her if that's the case, too dangerous. Still, we can get some use out of her carcass." With nary another word, he unsheathed a knife, and with expert surgical precision, he removed the tail. It rattled in his hands.

"A little damaged, but it could still fetch a price. Now for the venom." He mused, storing away the tail in what looked to be a glass container. Not glass, maybe plastic? Joe retrieved out another like container. He stretched what looked to be a thin piece of cloth draped over the container's opening, and knelt next to her head and put it up against one of her large hollowed fangs.

"She's dead Joe, I'm sure you can't..."

And to Louise's utter horror, venom indeed collected in the jar, its sickly yellow color glowing brightly, practically a light source even in the day's sun.

"Snakes can still inject venom long after they're dead, Louise. And she had quite a lot. Good. We can use a bit in battle if we need to." He said, making sure that was all there was.

The pup coward under Louise's feet, apparently sensing her own horror.

Joe screwed a lid over the container's top and placed it in his pack. He stood and looked out to the horizon. "Now come, we've spent long enough here."

With one final look at the mother, from both girl and pup, the girl set off first, followed by the Night Stalker walking in her shadow doing its best to stick close to her.

As they wandered away, Louise realized her slight headache wasn't going away.

* * *

...

 **Well, I thought this would be better than a dog. That, and I think we needed some lightheartedness to help ease the pain of Goodsprings don't ya think?**

 **But, bow long can these two avoid confrontation with in gang territory?**

 **Also, I got another beta! Please thank Quaver Ava for going through the trouble of dredging through my work. And without even asking for a hazmat suit!**

 **Also, I've been planning and going back and editing the earlier chapters now. Speaking with my story idea guy, I realized the lead-up to Goodsprings could have been better handled. I got tunnel vision and didn't properly foreshadow it I feel like. It will still happen, but I'm going to just add some more detail so it's not a complete out of the blue thing.**


	19. The Long Walk IV

**The Long Walk IV**

* * *

Louise checked her Pip Boy. About twenty minutes passed since the third addition of their little group joined. Thankfully, the pup kept pace with the two humans. It looked at Louise with no end in its affection whenever she turned back to check on it. Its ears perked, and she swore there were hints of a smile. There was often a soft flutter in her stomach that escaped into a smile of her own. Night Stalkers were of ugly they were cute.

The Rad-X situation was going to be a hassle, but thankfully, the pup was content to keep a healthy distance. Not that it mattered right now. It was good to know she didn't need to worry about exposure in the day. She supposed the bigger issue would be during the nights when it would want to snuggle. Wonderful. Death by cuddling.

She glanced back again, the pup looking up in time to meet her eyes. Its forked tongue slip in and out periodically, its scaly head occasionally turned once in a while when something caught its interest. But for the most part it kept pace without question. With an energetic bark it ran up to her and rubbed her ankles as she walked. Rads be damned, it felt nice.

Louise quietly chuckled, an old thought coming to her. Kelly had gotten her wish for Louise in a way. This pup was much like a familiar in a few ways. It certainly was willing to obey her, and it was treating her as if she had summoned it. For better or worse, she would be its master. It would be her responsibility to care for it as it were her own familiar. The pup bound forward to sniff an odd rock, and then that bush, and so forth, not terribly far from the humans, but just enough to cause her to keep here eyes locked on it out of concern, She vowed to do her best. Even when she was dirt poor broke and a glorified vagabond, she would take care of this pup.

But, there was that nagging feeling regarding its adoption. She still felt something was odd with it. As happy as she was to have avoided a more disastrous outcome, she would be hard pressed to forget about the entire process. And it might not have been even related to the pup. It was simply the catalyst.

What where those hysterics? She still had no idea what had come over her.

And Joe… in the short time she knew him, he seemed like a cold calculating man. For him to throw her into a situation that wasn't necessary, it was odd. They played a risky gamble he was oddly confident on winning. He did say 'he had a plan' after all. Perhaps Joe was an opportunist? She wouldn't forget how he mentioned he'd seen this before. It may have been a while but it had happened sometime in his life. It was the only explanation she could think of that would allow him to take such a gambit. He was far too cautious otherwise. And that raised even more questions about him.

"He doing alright? Handling the terrain?" Joe asked. The terrain had become gradually uneven and rocky as they neared the cliffs in the distance. As they did, Louise cast a glance back in the direction of Goodpsrings, far off into the distance, and she shot down another sigh. She needed to focus on here and now.

Louise nodded, turning to face ahead again. "Yes. He's keeping up at least. And how do you know it's a 'he?"

"I got a good enough look when I got close. You should come up with a name for him. I doubt 'pup' will be applicable forever."

Name? Hmm, what should she call him? A few ideas passed her mind and she shot them down. She couldn't decide in the moment. Naming was something important that she'd need to give careful consideration. There were other things on her mind right now, and for days to come. She didn't want to choose a name that ended up not liking later. A pang of her old selfishness stung her with that thought.

Joe noticed the look on her face. "Well, you can think of one when we make camp soon. We're not terribly far from Nipton now. The tracks should continue another hour or so away. Once we hit that, we should be in the clear. But it's getting late. We need to set up a camp soon."

Really? They were that close already? She had to admit, she thought it would have taken far longer than that, and with far more difficulties. Not that she minded at all. It was a stroke of good luck. But she did have concerns with his plan right now.

"Then shouldn't we keep going? Surely it would be better to avoid lingering in gang territory?"

"No. You remember those missing people? You really want to test your luck around that area at night?" He asked, glancing back at her.

"Good point. But what of the Powder Gangers? I don't like the idea of spending more time in their territory than we have to. I feel we've only gotten lucky with not running into anything." She said.

"That makes two of us. But I'm wary of those missing people. I don't think it's the Powder Gangers doing it. They would have put ransoms forth to get as much supplies as they could. But that hasn't happened. I don't know what's going on around there, but something tells me, approaching during nighttime would be something we should avoid doing."

That was true. The sun was getting lower and lower, blanketing the land in an orange hue. "Not to mention traveling with the sun in our eyes gives the enemy an advantage. And the fact that the gang usually travels there during the night for some fun and food, and I would rather we continue the trend of avoiding confrontations. Nipton will wait, Louise. We will arrive there tomorrow morning, provided nothing gets in our way."

Those were valid points. She had no desire to get into a shooting match with the convicts, or whatever else was causing people to vanish. She also didn't like the idea of lingering here. Between the dead Night Stalker mother and setting up camp, even a novice like her knew the chances of being found were increasingly high. Joe was experienced, but she wasn't convinced waiting the night was the better option.

"I think we should just get there as soon as possible. You're talking about setting up camp in their territory. I'm sure that's not a good idea."

"I agree. It's not something I enjoy either. But in the case of Nipton, I think we should. And we should do it fairly soon. It'll take a while to recon the area, make sure we ain't setting up camp right next to one of theirs. We'll -" Whatever Joe was going to say next was cut off by a 'pop' sound off in the distance. In the time it took for Louise flinch, Joe was a blur of movement, grabbing her by the arm, and shoving her behind a rock, Joe right next to her, and the pup scrambling to join them looking as terrified as she did.

Gunshots. Oh Founder, gunshots! The heat inside her clothes vanished as a cold frost of dread encompassed her.

"Oh, no, no!" She panicked, holding her head. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and brown eyes boring into her. Had she managed to jinx them?

"Goggles up." Joe commanded, securing his own goggles over his. He had his rifle in his hands now, cautiously peering over the top.

Surprised, she pulled the odd eye ware over her eyes and readied her laser pistol. The pup whimpered softly next to her, and she spared a hand to scratch his head, reassuring him. The gesture calmed her just a little bit. "I know... I'm not ready either..." She whispered, getting some measure of control. She un-holstered her laser pistol, but the shaking weapon gave her little measure of comfort.

The shots continued to echo across the hilly terrain, Louise tensed like a riding crop, waiting for a bullet to impact near them. Oddly, despite the many shots firing in the distance, and even the occasional explosion, where they were seemed to be calm. No dust clouds of missed shots popped up at all. In fact, now that the initial panic had gone, Louise realized while not far away, they were not in the battle.

Joe came to the same realization she did.

"They're not shooting at us. Guess we weren't the only ones out here." He mused. Sure enough, the battle's song carried on, despite the three interlopers not being involved.

"What should we do?" She asked. Joe looked back at her, his face the picture of a man who had seen this far too many times. It was focused, down to an intimidating professionalism.

"Let's get into some better hiding spots. In case a group's been tailing us from behind, we should find someplace to hole up and hopefully ride this out without them knowing we're here. If we can avoid a fight we should. There's a fairly large group of outcropping rocks that we can hide in. Stay right behind me, move fast, got it?" He pointed out the area in question to her.

More gunshots echoed in dusk's light, and Louise swore she heard a distinctly human scream. Whoever was fighting was still going at it, but how long it would last? Could be anyone's guess. Well, this is why she tagged along with Joe. She had to trust him on this.

"Got it." She breathed, getting herself into a better position to take off.

The man took a quick peek over their hiding spot, Louise matching his movements. They were clear. Then, after a few more moments of surveying the land, Joe took off running. Louise chased after him, the pup behind her. Joe was a fast runner and she had to push herself twice as hard to keep up. She focused on following him, barely able to watch what was around her. It felt like her legs could turn into water at any moment. And unsteady terrain didn't help much.

Running through the open land with shots firing around her, even while not directed at her, was still terrifying.

She thanked Brimir they arrived at their destination without incident. The pup kept pace with her all the way, and he looked considerably more suited for this than she did. Though that wasn't saying much. His small body shook as he panted, recovering from the headlong sprint.

They took cover behind a rocky outcrop that was above both of them in height, and obscuring behind them was a field of like rocks. Hopefully it would be enough. "Alright. Now... we just sit here and wait this out."

She nodded. But it was easier said than done. The battle seemed to go on forever. In reality, after checking her Pip Boy, it was only five minutes before the shots greatly decrease in frequency before finally petering out.

She dared not speak though. She looked to Joe to gauge how things were going and he himself didn't seem certain. He held up a finger to hold the silence and his face looked constipated as he struggled to listen.

They waited, and waited. Until they heard what sounded like people talking, shouting at another. And uncomfortably close to their hiding spot. Not enough to hear what they were saying clearly, but they sounded panicked and angry. They made enough noise to make out some words here and there.

The few words were enough to piece together bits of information.

"Fuc-... Mark got... shot them in the..."

"eah. -ee any ot- ran."

Louise watched Joe frown. They wouldn't hear much from their position. Between their distance, the hills surrounding them, she supposed they were lucky to hear as well as they could.

All there was to do was wait. It sounded like more people showed up. Joe muttered, 'four new voices'. She didn't understand how he was able to count them so quickly so she chalked it up to his experience.

At least they hadn't been spotted yet. The gangers continued to talk amongst themselves, about what she didn't know. All she could gather was they had fought someone else and since they didn't sound particularly celebratory it didn't end favorably. Some good news perhaps? She continued to listen with Joe. From what she could gather, it sounded like the gangers were heading out soon and that was fine by her.

That was until a new arrival entered the scene, judging by some of the excited voices. There was nervousness in their excitement that didn't settle on Louise's intuition very well. Like something good had happened but when one felt it wasn't true, waiting for the punchline.

"-ly shit! Mar-" She caught one saying. There was a bit of a clamoring among them, more excited shouts. She thought she heard some of them take off running towards whoever it was. There was brief moment of relative silence, but then it started back up, everyone chattering amongst themselves again, and even she could make out the wails of the new arrival.

"uck, his ey-" An injury perhaps? She could make out less sounds coming from the man. Then he was now speaking, the pain clear and present. He talked for a while, the others occasionally interrupting him, asking him questions it sounded like and the wounded man responded. The distant voices frustrated her that she couldn't hear them clearly.

Then, it went dreadfully quiet. Dreadfully being the first word that came to Louise's mind because she suddenly had a gut feeling that something was off about it. A tickle in the back of her head, going down her neck. She noticed Joe shift slightly, and soon she realized why.

With an icy dread that rivaled the strongest of spells, she heard the footsteps approaching their location.

"Louise... get up." Joe softly spoke. He readied his handgun, pointing it towards the right hand side.

She wanted to comply but her body did its best to resist and freeze up. Louise forced herself this time. And just as she stood up completely, the barrel of a rifle poked around the corner, followed by a man, though unlike Joe, he wasn't prepared.

"See, nobody- wai-whaAH!" His voice was cut off with the retort of Joe's handgun, red bursting from the convict's stomach, sending him to the desert sand in a pained yell.

"Move, behind those rocks." Joe ordered, nearly flinging her across the land as he thrust her forward. She stumbled and ran with all her might.

"How!? How did they know!?" She demanded Joe as she ran just ahead of him. They positioned themselves behind the field of rocks. The shouts of the others giving chase.

"Not the time. Get ready, they're on their way. We got a small chance to get one or two before they decide to toss their dynamite. I thought I heard at least six, so that's one down at least. I need you to actually shoot at them when I tell you, got it?" He squared his gaze with hers. There would be no tolerance for hesitation.

"I-" She started to answer, before she was cut off by more yelling.

The words were clear, echoing loudly over the desert. "Ethan! Ethan where are they!? Can you see 'em! Are they those freaks!?"

"Oh god... god dammit...ahg!" The man, Ethan she presumed, screamed out in pain.

"You fucking bastards! What did we do to you!?" One of them yelled. He was behind the outcropping Joe and Louise were covering behind mere seconds before.

There was loud gasping as the wounded man responded. "I didn't... I didn't see... I think... there's two of 'em." Ethan sputtered out to his friends, every word weighed down by what Louise imagined to be blazing agony in his stomach. She listened to his wails, a sympathetic pang of guilt twisting in her gut. Dammit, this was what she was hoping to avoid.

She looked at Joe, his face an expressionless stone. Sweat accumulated on his brow but not nearly as much as hers, she thought. Then, his eyes widened.

"Cover your ears." He ordered, doing what he had just said.

She wanted to ask him why, but the sizzling sound gave her an answer, remembering Pete's own use of dynamite. She realized why she should and she quickly stuck two fingers in her ears. She crouched over the pup, pressing her knees to either side of his head in an attempt at covering his ears as well.

The dynamite denoted nearby and they felt some of the shock wave. Rocks and pebbles flew past, some landing near Louise and Joe, and a few fist sized rocks impacted all around. She winced and gritted her teeth at the high velocity gravel hitting her.

She gunfire erupted from ahead and to the right. Apparently they tried shooting where they just were.

She heard frustrated cussing. "Nothing there. They can't be too far away. Dan, get on those rocks and see where they're hiding." One ordered. "Ethan... Ethan just... try and crawl towards me okay? They can't shoot at you anyway without giving away their position. Come on man." He urged, desperately.

Ethan it seemed to be already on the ropes, moaning in incoherent agony.

"Fucking- Dan, get up there!"

"Oh god! Fuck, just shoot me! Just... fuck!" The injured man screamed. Louise heard his sobbing and pained thrashing on the ground. She imagined him kicking his legs as he clutched his stomach.

She struggled to not close her eyes. She wanted to shut out the drawn out death cries. It felt like Goodpsprings all over again. Bandits, sure, but those cries of pain and suffering sounded far too similar to honest people for her to care at the moment. She couldn't shake it.

"I can't see anything but... yeah, they gotta be behind those rocks right in front of us somewhere! That's what I'm getting told."

Told!? Told how!? How were these people finding out where they were?!

Her eyes snapped to Joe, the older man had a truly shocked expression on his face. "How the-" He cut himself off, looking at her with a bizarre unsettling look. She felt herself freeze from the intensity of it. He grunted, and then focused on the gang members threating them, leaving Louise a bit shaken.

She heard the one to their right scoff with contempt. "We can spare some sticks. Got a general area of where they might be?"

Joe got out the rifle that was on his back with one hand, his other grasping the rock. He shifted himself, preparing for what Louise knew was to be an attack. If they figured out where they were, it would make no sense to stay hidden.

"Once I shoot, be ready to move. They're gonna toss dynamite. They're gonna flush us out of cover and when they do, they're gonna unload on us. I'll lay down covering fire, but I can't do it alone. I'm gonna need you to fire your gun when I tell ya. Now when I do, run to that rock on your right. I'll break off to the left so they can't force us both to move at once."

"Hold on", The enemy went silent for a moment." Alright... they're righ-" He never finished his sentence as Joe shot out of cover, his rifle thundering out as he fired off a shot, before he ducked back down, more screams of rage erupted from the opposing side. She assumed Joe's shot hit the mark. In retaliation, there was an explosion, rocks and pebbles started flying from their cover. A stone managed to bounce off Louise's goggles. She barely noticed because Joe shouted at her. "Move!"

Snapped into action, she ran forward, darting between rocks, the pup besides her.

Joe fired at the gang members from behind.

It was as if the whole world fell away for a few seconds as she scrambled behind the many rocks littering the area, her whole body numbed by adrenaline, and yet she felt herself perfectly. It was a surreal experience, almost an out of body experience. Without seeing it, she could feel the weapons trained in her direction.

Making it to her new cover, shots sound off to her left. Another gang member.

Joe continued his return fire.

She swallowed a brick lump in her throat, slowly peeking out of the cover, and sure enough, she spotted a blue dressed man taking shots with a hand gun from behind the large rock

Joe was able to handle just one, but now new ganger's fire forced Joe to duck his head. There was only two for now, but there were others, and if one of them had dynamite...

Flashes of Goodsprings were behind her eyes, and she let out a soft growl. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let another good man die because she was too cowardly to act. She wouldn't. With a bit of a clumsy move, she popped around the rock.

She let loose her laser pistol, bright red light streaked towards the ganger on the her left. Her hasty shots impacted the rock he was near forcing him to duck back under his cover. She dropped under her cover as well, her rapidly beating heart assuring her she was still alive after what she had just done.

Thankfully, the distraction worked in Joe's favor. He was finally able to move from his awkward positioning. Just in time too. On reaching his new cover, she saw a stick of dynamite land precisely where he was moments ago. She covered her ears and crouched to the ground just in time as an explosion blew apart the rock. More than a few stray rocks and pebbled bounced off her eye ware. The rest of her face didn't fare as well, small cuts nicking her skin.

She had to thank Joe for the goggles later.

"Louise, try and keep that guy on the left pinned down. I'm gonna take out that one on the right. I've got nothing else. Got it?"

She nodded, not liking the final tone of 'nothing else' before shots from said target started peppering her cover. Frightened, she screamed. Her hand clutched her pistol so hard she was surprised the grip didn't snap off. She tried to focus, tried to poke out when Joe had to reload. Her body refused to do as she commanded. Damn, how many shots had he fired? She wasn't keeping count! She had to take a chance.

That was until she was surprised by yet another explosion, but not near her, but from the outcropping on Joe's side. She saw him actually having a rather sinister grin on his face as the screams of the enemy responded to what was likely more of their friends dying.

"What the-" She questioned, utterly confused. He'd said he had nothing left!

"Grenade." He said, shrugging. In the middle of the firefight, he had shrugged at her.

"But you said-"

"I Know. I'll explain later. There's still work to be done." Joe cut her off, the cracks of guns accentuating his point.

She had no idea what was going on. The orders, the confusion, the geckos, were nothing compared to this. There were so many things happening at once!

The convicts targeted them again, shots pounding at their cover. Joe did his best to return fire when he could. When he dropped back into cover, she saw he had a scowl on his face.

"Shit, I think one just made it to the rocks. Left side. Keep an eye on that side, Louise. I'll focus on the one on the right."

She desperately scanned the rocks for movement. But she saw nothing. Joe's gunfire mixed with the other Powder Ganger's. But the noise was a distant sound compared to her fearful thoughts. The pup stirred underneath her feet. He had remained unbelievably calm during the ordeal. He was nervous, sure, but he looked to her as if she knew what to do. She was beginning to wonder if she actually managed to brand this creature. In truth, they were both kids in their own right struggling for survival in a battle of flying bullets and stone.

And suddenly the pup's eyes trained to her left. He hissed and rattled his tail. She turned left and trained her laser pistol.

Without warning, the pup took off, darting forward and eventually disappearing behind a rock where a voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh fuck! Get it off!" She heard a man scream. And soon stumbled into view. The pup it seemed had had managed to... oh dear. It seemed to have snapped down hard on something dearly important to a man. Right between the legs. This man was big too.

She stood there, gaping at the sight. The man had dropped his weapon in the struggle, and when he punched the Night Stalker pup, she snapped back into reality, growling as she aimed her pistol out of reflex and hot red anger at the pained sound from her pup and pulled the trigger.

Only for nothing to happen. Oh... she hadn't counted how many shots she had fired had she? Fuck! Reload, reload! She fumbled for an electron pack, but a squeal of pain made her head shoot straight up. He had grabbed the pup as it had his balls, and his fist worked like a jackhammer. Punch, punch, punch. The Night Stalker held on, and she saw the man reach for something.

It looked like a knife. Her eyes flicked up and down at the two momentarily, fear stabbed through her soul. Finding an inner suicidal need to protect her charge, she took off running, and jumped onto the man's back. Now he had a Night Stalker pup with its venomous fangs in his balls, and a girl on his back, who had managed to grab his knife. For the briefest of moments, she had a delusion of grandeur. That she would be able to stab him as struggled to stay standing. He staggered, and Louise missed stabbing him.

The sad truth of the matter was, she was a petite girl, and the man was far stronger. The ganger must have taken his chances because the next thing Louise knew, they were falling. He threw himself backwards. She turned into the cushion between him and the rocky ground. Her head snapped into the dirt and her world went dark after a flash of intense pain.

* * *

...

Louise slowly opened her eyes, the pain in her head from its blind date with the ground was still radiating like a piece of still hot coal stuck deep inside her. Every movement of her neck was a chore, causing no small amount of discomfort. She brought a hand to her temple, in a futile attempt to do something to ease the horrid pain.

But, despite the pain and even with just a crack between her eyelids, she knew right away something was wrong. The sky above her was pure white from what her barely opened eyes could see. Maybe she could chalk that up as just looking at clouds, but other things were off to her as well. The air was stale, and as she got to a sitting position and looked around, she realized that, the battlefield where she just had been was nowhere to be found. The outcropping, the rock field, the hilly terrain, all gone.

She opened her mouth a little to call out to Joe, and moaned, the pain from the movements drawing out. "Joe?" She rasped her throat sore and dry. She received no answer. There wasn't even a breeze in this place. The air here was truly dead, lying on top of her like corpse.

She shakily got to her feet. "Joe!?" She called again, fear beginning to match her pain. Her head hurt so much.

Then, she felt a presence approach her. There was nothing inherently evil about it. It was even rather nostalgic, and yet, it wasn't quite right to her. When she turned to face it, she nearly doubled over in shock.

Before her stood a familiar shape. A large brown bipedal creature, with horns, milky white eyes, large teeth and scythe like claws, marching her way.

A Deathclaw! She let out a gasp, backed away rapidly, and then she turned around breaking into a sprint for her dear life.

She kept running, and running, panicking. Though she was a bit surprised it hadn't caught her right away. She spared a glance over her shoulder to see a horrifying, yet confusing sight.

It was right behind her... and it wasn't even moving its legs. She was kicking up sand and dirt, and pebbles, and yet she hadn't moved from where she was at all.

She stopped, panting heavily, realizing that continuing this was pointless. The pink haired mage began a staring contest with the creature, her eyes moving all over its form for any sign of hostile movement, for the one second she was likely going to get before it moved to kill her.

Yet, as she stared it down, it didn't move much at all. It was staring at her, tilting it's head like a dog would its master begging for a treat.

What was going on here? This odd place, now this Deathclaw? The way things were going, however, it didn't seem like anything was going to change with it.

To her horror, change did happen, but not in a way she was expecting whatsoever. Its skin started melting. It was only bits and pieces at first, chunks of meat fell to the ground with wet 'plops'. What started as a sprinkle turned into a downpour, squishy sound of falling flesh, and splattering blood echoing throughout the strange place. The wet sounds reverberating off her chest like a fleshy orchestra.

And... oh Founder above, were those... faces!? She forced her eyes to stay glued to the sight, as trying as it was for her sanity, she confirmed that yes, there were faces, and forms inside the abomination, they were cause for the flesh falling away. She could see the bug eyes and wings of Bloatflies poking out, the snarling faces of geckos, and the hissing faces of Night Stalkers, and their rattles, all coming from this... this... Monster. Their screams and sounds echoes even above the sound of viscera before her, echoing not in anger she realized, but fear! The thing was completely devoid of its original brown skin now, leaving a dull black abomination before her, uncaring for the beings trapped withering inside it, as it's still white eyes stared her down, not blinking once the entire time. Still, the flesh fell, an endless torrent that painted the ground and reached her feet.

Then the smell hit her positively rupturing her head in two. She collapsed to her hands and knees throwing up into the bloody gore around her. There were maggots and other crawling things that left her mouth, and her head positively ruptured her head it felt like. She collapsed to her hands and knees. The flesh that had collected at the bottom caught fire, and she heard a disturbingly familiar womans scream, seeing a flaming hand reach out of coming right for her.

The scenery changed. The ground was moving beneath her again, her arms and legs transforming into paws.

Her movements were not her own anymore. Her limbs moved against the ground, and when her head moved of its own accord, she realized she was running, her thoughts muddled by concepts such as 'mother' and siblings.' She had no time to truly dwell on why her very mind was changing, for she was subjected to even more horrific sights.

She saw her siblings falling, some exploding suddenly, some falling over, one dragging its hind legs behind it, broken back, as it called out for mother, whom she was pressing herself into for dear life. She heard the loud sounds from the smart twolegs, howling as they chased them out of their territory. Mother grabbed her scruff, leaving her sibling wailing louder before being cut off with not a gunshot, but a sickening club, crunching skull echoing into her ears.

She would miss playing with her brother. Behind her scaly furry mask, Louise sobbed enough to wet the entirety of the Wasteland two times over. This was too much, too much horror, she wanted to wake up... wake up… wake up…

WAKE UP!

* * *

...

She woke with a start, her head still hurting like it had been clobbered by an orc, attested by it sharp pain with any sudden movement. She put a hand to her temple, and slowly opened her eyes, the eerily similar actions taken in... Wherever she was sent shivers down her spine. Every single second spent in that place was ingrained into her mind, her very soul it felt like.

"Louise?" She turned her head, painfully, towards the source to find Joe crouched beside her. The pup as well, and once he had seen she was awake, he scrambled to her, putting his head beneath her hand, nuzzling her. She stared at him hazily and blinked to focus her eyes. The pup stopped and looked up at her when she didn't return the affection. The nightmare was still fresh in her mind and it was hard bringing herself back to reality.

Had she seen part of his life? Before she adopted him? She remembered calling the other Night Stalkers 'siblings' and 'mother' not referring to her own, but... there was no other explanation she could think of. She just saw a part of the little thing's life, losing what little family he had left. She blinked again, her eyes terribly dry and sore.

 _And I caused that._ She thought, her headache momentarily forgotten in lieu of guilt. She turned her head slightly, and found that she wasn't far from the man she fought with. He was lying on the ground, dead, and Louise was very much avoiding at looking at the red pieces of meat by the mans legs.

How he'd died was a small mystery, even if she had a good guess. "What happened?" She whispered softly, finally scratching the pups head. He crawled onto her lap in response and resting his head on her left knee. He was a good distraction for the time being.

"You jumped on that bastard. I'm guessing you forgot to count your shots, and attempted to stop him from stabbing the pup, but he threw you off. The guy fell backwards and you cushioned him. Lucky you didn't break any bones or get a concussion. I put him down before he could finish you off." Joe explained, his casual way of saying 'you almost died' made her wince.

"How did you manage to kill them? It was still two to one. Those weren't good odds."

"The one I was fighting with ran back to another that was wounded, damn near blind, so he was no help in the fight. I guess he figured he should try and make a run for it with his comrade, or maybe the plan was to leave with all three. A panicked ditch and run. I shot the one on your side dead, and I managed to capture the one that ran. Shot him in the leg, treated him, and now he's bound. The other is... well he's alive, but there's something really fucked up about him. I don't know what, but he isn't making any damn sense. I think he's lost his marbles." He shook his head now, recalling whatever disturbing things he must have heard from the crazed gang member.

So that was that then. She... survived her first true firefight. Goodsprings didn't count, that was a slaughter. She hadn't shot anyone yet, only laying down suppression fire. She was thankful for that. But, then it suddenly clicked in her head what Joe had said. Captured?

"Wait... you mean?" She asked, suddenly having a very bad feeling that the horrors in her dreams were soon to be replaced again with a waking nightmare.

"We're gonna have some company tonight."

* * *

 **Another thank you to Quaver Ava for Betaing. And for giving me a joke I plan to use later...**

 **So... that happened. I think it's time Louise had a nice long talk about her emerging powers eh?**


	20. The Long Walk V

**The Long Walk V**

* * *

"Morrigan, what the fuck happened!?" Was the outraged response that Hank Morrigan got when he and the remaining soldiers filed into view.

The soliders in town had seen the smoke stacks and heard the shots, their first thought being a run in with Powder Gangers. But seeing the bodies all piled up in the cart had only drove the knife of dread right through his Morrigans body completely.

"They ambushed us. They started firing, we shot back. There was definitely something going on there." Morrigan explained using a half truth.

"What, seriously!?" The officer looked flabbergasted, wildly looking between the surviving soldiers, all of whom had a far off look in their eyes. Only a select few could maintain even looking in his general direction. Wind could topple these soldiers with how they carried themselves.

"Yes seriously, do the dead and injured not tell you that? We defended ourselves, plain and simple. We took the first casualty after all." He said gesturing the bodies on the pile in the cart.

A few heads swiveled, and more than a few lips twitched with the truth he guessed, but it never escaped.

"I… Jesus Morrigan! Do you have any idea what you've done!?" Mcgee continued yelling, but it was obvious it wasn't just anger now. It was fear. Any rational military personal would naturally be terrified by the implications.

It was telling for Morrigan himself that he felt those emotions rather but muted compared to the increasingly mortified sergeant before him. "Killed hostiles? As you can see, it wasn't exactly easy for us. We have strong reason to believe one of them was indeed with the Lost. She ran off into the wastes though. She might have gone towards Sloan, we need to radio them as soon as possible."

Mcgee viciously shook his head, glaring at Morrigan."Be that as it may, we can't afford this shit right now! Fuck's sake, this is just like Bitter Springs all over again." Mcgee's words trailed off into mutter. Behind him, the people of Primm were gathering, the commotion not going unnoticed.

Mcgee put his head in his hands, likely cradling a Grand Canyon sized headache.

Morrigan knew it was best to wait just a bit before he pressed forward with his own goals.

Mcgee took a deep breath before speaking, and even then his voice was quiet. "… Put the bodies, on the ground would you? Put some blankets over them or something. Ah fuck…" He removed his helmet and ran his fingers through his short military haircut in a feverish pitch of worry.

Morrigan did as was told, owing it to the lives lost to at least get them respectable. That didn't ebb the feeling of revulsion of handling them. Many of them were fairly young in their twenties, some he was sure were just eighteen or nineteen. Lives cut short, letters to family soon to follow offering half-hearted apologies for dead kids.

Because of you. An airy voice whispered in his ear, snaking through his mind. He didn't deny it at all.

Heh… This mess was not the first of its kind. Or even high in body count compared to last time. Perhaps matched in consequences. Even as he worked, he could feel as if a nuclear bomb had dropped from the sky and was just sitting in the town of Primm. He felt the judging stares of the townsfolk, and if he had to guess, between Mcgee's running of the town and now Goodsprings being a smoke stack in the sky... well there was no avoiding fallout in the metaphorical sense was their? This was going to be a shit-show, and the gods of chaos were squatting right over them.

As the last of the bodies were laid out, and respectfully covered, Morrigan finally returned to Mcgee.

"I understand this doesn't look good, but I have reason to suspect that girl who ran off was with the Lost. I was told she came from the West, from the area those soldiers were killed. Her arrival matches up with reports. A single pair of tracks leading from the sight and into the town. One of them said she wandered in from the desert, it fits. She ran off into the desert, towards Sloan, but we had to retreat from a Deathclaw. You need to radio Sloan, and ask if they saw her so we can pursue. And I think people should know of her already. Bright pink hair trailing behind as she ran off, same as those radio stories we heard pop up around the same time. That's gotta be enough for reasonable suspicion?" He queried.

There was harsh words lingering on Mcgee's lips, but he shoved them down his throat like a ball of spit. He sighed, suddenly looking close to retirement age."…Alright. I'll get on the horn and get Sloan on the line. After I report to Command about this. Now we have to catch her, I hope you realize that? What you did…. You know the NCR isn't popular. Do you have any idea what this is going to do for us? We've already had enough fuck ups with the Powder Gangers. Goddammit… Just… I hope you can deal with the shit that's gonna come from this. Your reputation might not protect you from this. The entirety of Bitter Springs is coming again, and it's gonna rest right on your head." Mcgee said, staring at him with intensity, before stalking off to the radio.

Nothing Morrigan hadn't come to himself.

He kept going through the events in his head. The pink hair trailing behind her as she fled, leaving the town and it's people behind. He wasn't judging though. Not in the slightest. He'd be such a hypocritical shitbag, he'd have a chance for any political spot he'd wanted. He'd judge her for a few things, but running away wasn't one of them. Even though abandoned her friends in the process, you wouldn't find him throwing stones from up high. The mountain he was standing on was having Divide tremors anyway. He simply couldn't. It wasn't anything even anything personal against her, just business now.

He would have to ask about that girl in due time. The traders only had one place to stop now after all. And wouldn't that be just fun?

He didn't want to write the letters though. There was enough dishonest bullshit without him adding to it. For now, he had to get as much info on that girl as he could. See if any bullets or fists would come his way as well.

...

* * *

Louise stood, the pain in her head stretching its tendrils down her neck. She felt a throbbing welt where she was struck in the head. Joe helped her to her feet, and the pup braced himself against her legs, looking at her with concern. She scratched his head soothingly, noting where his cute-ugly face was struck, making her grimace. It also took that opportunity to lick away the remaining blood by its mouth. It wasn't hard to ignore that thankfully, her own pain overwhelming any desire to be freaked out by the puppy's bloody maws.

The throbbing welt wasn't her only distraction. She could feel various cuts on her face from the pebbles impacting it. If it weren't for the googles, those could easily have gone into her eyes. Well, she decided to keep that personal promise to herself.

"Thank you." She said. She was just a little wobbly but she could remain standing nonetheless.

Joe nodded in response, quickly moving on to another relevant topic. "Your Pip Boy told me you didn't suffer a concussion, oddly enough, and it said 'Unknown Readings.'" By the tone of his voice, it didn't sound exactly 'unknown' to him.

"That… what does that mean?"

"I have a pretty good guess actually. But we should get our 'friend' into a more secure position. We need to find someplace to hole up. Sun's going down, and whoever they were fighting may still be in the area. I'll tell you then." Well, that more or less confirmed her thoughts. She was surprised when he held out a bottle of alcohol, some bandages, and a rag.

"Here, let me clean those wounds. If you are more susceptible to radiation, your immune system is probably a bit weaker as well. And any cut, no matter how small, you report them to me." He said.

She didn't argue and let him get to work. None of her cuts were very deep, really just flesh wounds, but the sting of alcohol was still there. The alcoholic fumes mixed with her throbbing head and nauseated her. Soon, she felt some basic coverings on her face, her cuts all patched up in very little time. With a simple gesture for her to follow, he took off towards the captive.

Feeling a tad spurned at once again getting delayed answers, the setting sun backed Joe's urgency. Her discomfort would just have to be toughed out.

On still wobbly legs, she and the pup followed him to their new 'guest' but her eyes were drawn to the man sprawled out next to the bound one. From her distance, she knew something was deeply wrong with him, and as she got closer, she could see in more detail exactly what was wrong.

The man's eyes were surrounded by angry red flesh, as if he had cried an entire day's worth of tears, but that was nothing compared to the eyes themselves. They appeared to be heavily damaged, almost corroded. Something certainly had gotten into him that shouldn't have. They were heavily bloodshot, and still tearing up, the pain radiating like a fire off of his face.

And yet, Louise could only describe a feeling of bliss emanating from him as he lay in the sand. A smile was on his lips, even as his terrifying bloodshot eyes continued watering.

"Hey, ya mind shutting up over there? I'm trying to get lost here…." He said slowly, glancing at Louise, for what good his eyes were in their current state. Honestly, the state of his eyes made Louise worry that they might melt right out of their sockets.

"W-What? I didn't say anything."

"Oh... ya sure? I'm pretty sure you just said that twice. What do you mean 'what am I talking about'? Ain't it obvious? Heheh..." He giggled. A convicted criminal actually giggled at her like one of her classmates finding out something scandalous.

"You're not going to get anything else from him. His brains are fried." The bound man explained. His voice was laced with venom as he stared at her from the ground. "You might as well just fucking shoot him. It'll be better than what's coming. For him and you." The man continued, craning his neck to look at the older man. He knitted his brows together and his voice softened. "…Can you do that at least?"

The reply was blunt. "No. He'll be a good distraction." Joe said.

Louise turned on him with an uneasy expression. "Distraction?"

He nodded. "I'm not betting on whomever these guys were fighting aren't that far away. Better they waste time coming for, and eventually securing him. Less eyes and man power on us." He reasoned.

The drugged man mumbled, his eerie voice drawing everyone's attention. "I can smell through my mind… feel warm embraces… cold slaps of mockery." He rambled. "I smell fire, a burning woman reaching, failures following me. Embers of rage..." He giggled more, his limbs not even moving correctly. Louise noted the beginnings of spasms.

She heard a very loud curse directed at both of them. "You're just gonna leave him for the freaks!? Fucks sake just kill hi-" The bound mas was cut off by a balled up sock and forced in his mouth then summarily taped shut.

"Yes we are. And once we find a place to settle down for the night, you're gonna tell us just who these 'freaks' are." It disturbed her just how matter of fact and downright routine the situation seemed to Joe. There were certain traits she noticed, when one had lived long enough. Like the gradual grooves in a wand and sword sheaths, there was something unnervingly well-worn about her companion.

A bit like her mother in some regards. She noticed some small ticks for her as well, always eating with her back to the wall, practiced movements, a gaze that Louise understood was always in the back of her mind coming up with plans, ambush spots. She spent her whole life around it, and she got a sudden vibe from Joe that was exactly that. And considering the subject...

"Louise, you might want to put your Pip Boy on him. It can take medical scans. I want to know what's wrong with him."

She blinked in surprise. But did so nonetheless, and waited for the thing to readjust to the new subject. The screen flickered back on, and Louise entered the commands for a medical diagnosis. And as the information began piling in—

"Unknown Venom. Extreme psychotropics. Brain damage... all from snake venom?" Joe mused at the list of ailments.

"Why is it odd?" Granted, she had a rough idea of why it might be, but it was better to hear it from someone more experienced in these matters.

"It's odd because that's not how venom usually works. It's meant to weaken prey, and while some do cause hallucinations, they are purely psychological. But never on the brain. Sure it's causing some hallucinations by the look of it, but it's also actively damaged it... from just one dose. It usually takes months or years for the brain to get that irreversibly damaged from something like Jet and Psycho, but this? I've never seen anything like this before." He took off the Pip Boy from the drugged man, and gave it back to Louise. As she put it back on, he slung the man over his shoulder, and began walking.

"Come, we must get set up before sunset. I don't want to end up like him." He ordered. Taking one last look at the defenseless man they were leaving exposed, she followed him.

….

* * *

They eventually set up camp about quarter hour later, according to her Pip Boy. Joe found an area with natural rocks for defenses, creating a choke point if they were attacked. Good as they would get on such short notice. Joe grumbled that that he couldn't chance scouting the area in case he was spotted.

Nonetheless, he set up bear traps, and spread dried sticks the camp. Louise didn't say a single word the entire trip. Her own physical and mental pains hampering any thoughts of conversation, even as her head gradually cleared. As pressing as the current situation was, she had not let recent events slip past her.

Those images… she could not truly shake them just yet. She could vividly imagine the terrible noise of Deathclaw flesh slushing off its bones plopping to the ground with wet impacts. And then there was the flaming hands, reaching to her.

She shivered every time she recounted it.

And… the pup's memories. There was no explanation that came to her in the travel time. It just made sense. What else could it be? A random Night Stalker pup with another conveniently wounded mother? No. It was his. And that carried implications as to how she was able to tame him so easily.

The pup sensed her discomfort, and did his best to help her. He rubbed against her legs in a placating her mood, helping sooth her nerves. She looked at him, his blue eyes looking at her with literal puppy-coyote-snake hybrid eyes. She couldn't resist and returned his affection, scratching the little monstrosity's head.

Their prisoner was surprisingly compliant. He hadn't struggled much, if at all during the trip. Though she was tasked to watch him, he hadn't shown much incentive to try and run. Fine by her. The pup showed more 'assertiveness' during guarding. Puffing out his chest, and never once letting his gaze falter.

When Joe was done securing their camp, he dropped his pack to the ground, and let out a sigh of relief. Even with minor breaks, carrying the prisoner over this distance was visibly taxing on him. He took a moment to shake off his fatigue, rolling his shoulders, and the unshakable man returned, standing straighter, alertness shining brightly in his stance. He stepped to their captive Powder Ganger and crouched down.

"Alright, here's how I would like this to work. I'm going to remove the sock from your mouth, and we're just going to have a nice quiet chat about the things I want to know. If your voice reaches shouting levels, our pup here will have another snack."

The prisoner's eyes flicked to the Night Stalker by Louise's legs. The tiny monster idly scratched his left ear with a hind paw. Clearly, the pup was the epithet of doom.

"If you can show your cooperation, then nothing bad will happen during the questioning. I hope you make the right choice." He said as he roughly pulled the drool-soaked sock out of the prisoner's mouth. The ganger coughed for a few seconds and then glared at Joe.

"I ain't gonna fucking yell. Only the freaks would hear me, and being bound… well, I'd rather die than be carried off by them. Still, watching them shoot you might be worth it. What the fuck did we do to you?" He demanded, true to his word, it was below a yell, but the harsh tone bordered on too loud for Louise's liking.

"Your group has a reputation I'm afraid. Shooting on sight, little mercy, rapists, I saw that woman from the Crimson Caravan, and being generally unwilling to work out deals. That's dumb. Leads to situations like the one we all found ourselves in not too long ago. I didn't think it would be wise to reveal ourselves to you. You really should work on building more connections." Joe lectured with a scolding tone. Louise was reminded of her teachers lecturing misbehaving students.

"What, you giving advice on how to run a fucking gang?"

He shrugged. "Just saying, there are more productive ways to act. Tolls for one thing. Just take a little bit here and there, build it up… ah but I'm getting sidetracked. Just answer me this. Who were those 'freaks' you were fighting?"

Louise shot him a look. _Odd thing to be distracted by Joe._ She thought to herself.

The prisoner grumbled, but responded. "Well, the NCR called them the Vipers. What they call themselves though is different I think, if they're muttering is anything to go by. Doesn't matter to me what they're called. They fucking do something to you. And I don't think a gang is what you fucking call them. A cult more like. They like to wear a bunch of snake skin, weapons made from bones. We sneaked up on some, and they talked really weird, kept mentioning 'the Great Snake'.

"Is that why your friend is acted strangely?" Louise asked, the memory of the other man sending a chill down her spine. If recent events hadn't warranted her unsteadiness, she would have thought herself cursed.

He sighed, his anger deflating, and some despondency seeped in. "Yeah… that's right. They got something in his eyes, whatever drug they use."

"So they're like the Fiends then?" Joe questioned. Louise heard that name before. Another pack of raiders giving the NCR trouble, serves them right in her book.

"Sorta, but not really. What the Fiends do, as vicious and crazy motherfuckers that they are, they do for drugs, their next fix. These guys though… they're not just drugged out gang bangers, you've seen what that guy was babbling about. What kinda drug does that, and how the hell did these whacks get it? And not even the Fiends began worshiping some fucking snake god."

"How do you know? How do you know they really aren't just druggies?"

"Cause, we killed some of our old friends who were with them. Wearing snake skins and all, that good enough for you!?" He snapped, glaring at Joe with muted fury.

The captive let out a long sigh, no longer looking Joe in the eyes, but off to the side. "I heard stories about them too. One night, Sam goes to take a piss, leaving his post, gone for what… About three minutes? He comes back, and the three guys at the post were gone. Vanished. Went on like that for a while, sometimes, people vanish, sometimes they managed to get shots off, even wound the fuckers, but they were always quick. It doesn't take much for that drug to start fucking your mind into their twisted ideas. We've been trying to find their hideout for a while now. We've narrowed it down to an old cave system that used to be a scavenger base. It's theirs by the looks of it."

"You found their base?" Joe asked, surprised that the gangers managed it.

"Yeah. They stole a lot of our dynamite too. That helped. We were scouting by the mountains when we felt the rumbles. You work with it long enough you learn those tremors come from underground explosions. I guess that's why they wanted some of us alive." He said, a dark look washing over his features.

"And before you ask. No I don't know why precisely why they were mining out a mountain, and I don't particularly give a fuck. I just wanted them dead. Those fucking freaks deserved nothing less. Got my chance today to kill some of them! Hollow victory, considering, two of them used to be my friends." He explained and he seemed to recoil at the next memories he was bringing up, a far off look in his eyes. His tone was quiet, and there was a muted horror in his voice. Telling this tale around a campfire would be more apt.

"They didn't recognize us, or just didn't care in their fucked up heads. Heard them muttering the same words as the rest of the Vipers, screaming at us, sometimes demanding us to just surrender, and give in to the 'Great Snake'. No matter how many times I tried, yelling back at them, they weren't having it. Fuck… I was doing them a favor by killing them. Kept going on about their fucking salvation. Don't think much of their old selves survived whatever the Vipers did to them. It barely counted as killing them when my bullets passed through their heads, as far as I'm concerned."

"Is that related to why you were able to sense her? Her Psyker abilities became amplified for him?"

"What?" Louise asked surprised. While she was having exceedingly strong suspicions about such things for a while, between Jodie, the vision and now the dreams, being said outright surprised her somewhat. Although, 'Psyker' was a new term. She stared at Joe, waiting for him to expand on it, but he still had business with the prisoner.

"It must be. He sure as shit didn't show any motherfucking psychic crap before."

"Hmm. That is odd. A drug that that makes people go crazy, and instantly develop psychic abilities? Even just receiving? I've never heard of that before, and knowing about that kind of stuff was my specialty. But a group simply preying on other gang members shouldn't be that big. Not enough to warrant digging out more caves. How do they have so many people?" Joe asked. As he did, Louise's mind was already heading in a likely direction and she had to suppress a gasp of realization.

"Well… we think Nipton might be helping them somehow." He said, Louise's ears perking at the mention of the town.

"How so?"

"Nothing concrete but we've had a few guesses from some of the boys who spend the most time there. I think they've been kidnapping people, and giving them to the Vipers. You're right. There's no way just the remnants are this strong. The NCR broke their backs a long time ago. And you must have heard about the disappearances around there. They're the only other group in this area. Who else could it be? It wasn't us, I can tell you that."

"It's not out of the question…" Joe muttered, stroking his beard in thought.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that town has been giving people to those lunatics? And you were taking me there?!" Louise hissed at him.

He sighed as if some old crow was nagging at him for something other than a town full of kidnappers. "I didn't know about these events. I'm guessing this is going to make staying there difficult?" He asked, already knowing the answer, if his sigh was any indication.

"If you mean, I'm not staying there, then you're damn right it is." She replied, but her voice betrayed the uncertainty rising within it. Nipton had been her only refuge in sight, and now she found out that it was involved with an insane cult that brainwashed people into joining them. So pardon her, if maybe, she was having some second thoughts about staying in Nipton.

"Fair enough, another headache for us to deal with." He grumbled. "Anything else you can tell these Vipers?"

"Nothing. They're crazy, determined to convert anyone and everyone, even kids. They really aren't all that discriminating in who gets converted. I think I overheard one of them say, they caught a little girl who traveled with the caravans. Her and her father."

At that, Louise swore she heard her mind grind to a screeching halt as those words were processed. At the very least, she was sure it had dropped in temperature and was in great danger of shattering. "W-what did you just say?" Louise asked.

"Just what I said. When we were sneaking up on them, one of them questioned whether or not the 'child would be worth it'. The other replied 'it is not our place to decide. We are the messenger, and any who are strong enough to answer the call, no matter their age, we will accept them.' What else could that mean? Kids ain't off their recruitment drive. "

"Oh... oh fuck!" Louise swore, the implications hitting her full force.

"Someone you know?" Joe asked.

She was pacing back and forth now, needing to move to have any control over the situation before it boil over, drowning her in anguish. "Yes! Harvey and Dani. It has to be. No one else would've taken a child on a caravan! Oh Founder, when were they taken? How long ago?"

"I don't know. Recent from the sound of it. Probably long enough for them to drug 'em up by now. They're probably not doing any better than Mark is right now. Could be they're getting shot up right now, if by some way they haven't already. If I were you, I'd just leave 'em."

Under normal circumstances, Louise wouldn't have been so vicious in her retorts, but with this revelation being another brick thrown in her face, lashing out was inevitable. "You don't know that. They could still be saved! I'm going to try. They're worth more than wandering murderous scum like you, you goblins." She sneered.

"Wha, are for you real? Says the fucking bitch and old man who shot at us first!"

"I think Goodsprings warrants that." Louise said bitterly. "I've heard stories of your attempted sacking of it, my home. Like Joe here said, you've made your bed."

"Wait, Goodsprings? You mean you came from there? What's the deal with that anyway? We've seen the smoke even out here, who hit it?"

While Louise may have disliked these miscreants, she loathed the NCR and had no problems sharing its misdeeds far and wide. She was going to do so eventually, might as well get started now. "NCR happened. They came in and slaughtered the whole town."

Much to her annoyance, though surprised, he just seemed to chuckle. "Damn. Didn't think they'd have the balls to do something like that. Well, whatever. Serves the pricks right for killing our friends."

Louise felt her hand twitch, and the pup growled nearly as loud as her hiss did at that sentence. "You are nothing but a worthless bandit. Your life is worthless next to the people who lived there, and that goes for your friends too."

He sneered at her, unimpressed. "Yeah well fuck you too, you pinked haired bitch. I don't even care anymore. I know I'm not walking away from this." He said, though with a defiant glint in his eyes.

"Smart man. Louise, you remember what we discussed earlier?"

And just like that, her hot anger and bravado evaporated, replaced with the cooling realization of what he meant. "...We can't let them report about me..."

"Yep. Don't suppose you would keep quiet about her, would you?" He asked, the answer pretty much known to him already.

"Fuck. You. That's my answer."

She... really wasn't comfortable with this. Those words from before were just that, words. She was mad, but looking at the bound defeated man he turned and their eyes connected. He had no way to truly fight back... she couldn't deny the rancid feeling settling in her stomach. "Wait, Joe... we only had to leave no witnesses because I was staying in Nipton. I'm not anymore. Do-do we really have to kill him?" She pointed out. She hardly had any desire to stay in that shithole after this evening's revelations.

"Do you have other suggestions then? Would you prefer us leave him here to be eaten by a predator, or abducted by the Vipers?"

"You can do whatever the fuck you want. I don't care anymore. But you're damn right I'm gonna tell everyone back at the prison about you, you bastards! You keep forgetting the fact that you shot first!"

"And as I said, that was your own fault. Your group developed a reputation as being unwilling to negotiate, and being general bastards. You needed to be pragmatic with your violence, not shooting every person you see. If the Legion can manage that, I think you can too."

"Hmpf. You sound like some of the older guys. Always did get to us to act smarter. I kinda agreed actually. I knew it was stupid to go picking that many fights at once. I was just happy to be a free man again. Well, for a time at least. Even NCR didn't put me on Death Row."

"You were still locked up for a reason, and even when free you still turned to criminal activities. How many innocents have you killed huh? Or robbed, or tried to rob?" Louise retorted.

"I'd do it all again if it meant keeping my buddies alive." He replied, looking at Louise with an intense fiery gaze. It actually gave her pause. He... was not what she was expecting from a bandit. She always pictured them to be soulless monsters, constantly sneering, always talking about how they were going to ravish a maiden or what. She wasn't expecting someone so... human, for lack of a better word. He hadn't mentioned those things once, and only cared for the perceived injustice laid out on him and his friends. It was laughable coming from a bandit obviously, but still... it did give her pause.

"You knew those men well? Your personal friends?" Joe asked, surprising Louise. There was a touch of... something in his voice. Sympathy? Understanding? She couldn't quite tell.

He looked like he wanted to snap at him for a brief moment, but her just sighed. (I'd wager his thoughts went along the lines of, "Pretty fucking dense there, you fucking blockheads.") "Yeah... some of them. Carlos was afraid of the dark, fucking city boy. Never could stand desert nights, always looked like he was gonna piss himself at every little sound. He said, in the city all the dangerous noises are washed out by lesser normal sounds.

"Tom had two pups waiting for him back at the prison. Adopted them after their parents blew up in one of our mines. Let himself go hungry a couple of times so he could feed them. Ethan, saved my life during the prison outbreak, bout to have my neck broken, when he jams a table leg through the guards throat. Heh." Louise felt her eyes wander in the direction of her own adoption for a few seconds.

"Didn't know Mark all that well, but fuck I know he didn't deserve to be left, and have his mind rot. Fuckers..." He said, turning to glare at them.

"Look, if you're done moralizing me like a fucking Nun, I know where the base is. If you want to try and rescue someone, I can point you in the right direction."

"Really. Why would we ever-" Joe began, not sounding up to the task of journeying to the literal Viper den.

"We are." Louise however, was something else entirely. And the convict could see that in her.

Joe turned to face her, an annoyed look on his face. "Louise... do I need to tell you why that's a bad idea? There's two of us, plus one pup, against an unknown number of hostiles, with potent venom that can drive people mad. And we're going in on their home turf."

"I don't care. We have to try. If Harvey and Dani could still be alive, we have to try!" She raised her voice slightly and it cracked.

"Louise, really think about this. We're talking about invading someone else's home, not knowing the layout."

"I know! But I can't just... do nothing. I can't just sit by while they're alive but in need of help and just do nothing. That's what I did during Goodpsrings. I lost everything because I was too stupid and cowardly to act! My friends died right before my eyes, and I just... laid there! The people who took me in, saved my life, and I couldn't even muster the courage to help them. Not this time... I'm not leaving people who helped me to die again." She declared. She barely noticed that she had perspiration on her forehead, that her fingernails dug painfully in her hands as she clenched her fists. Joe gave her form a once over, getting a peculiar look.

"Do you even know them that well? If they were traders, they don't sound like someone you spent that much time with, not like the townsfolk."

"Yeah, well, I don't care! They need help! We have to try, they helped me and my town when they didn't need to. I can't just leave them without even trying."

"Louise-"

"No! I don't want to hear it! They need help! I won't ask you. Our agreement was getting me to Nipton. Since that is void now, you can do whatever you wish, but I am going to try and secure them. With or without you." The pup rubbed against her leg, and looked just as determined as she did.

They stared each other down, their eyes locked in a duel. Louise though, she wasn't backing down. If she just, left them, just focused on saving herself for the second time today... She wasn't sure she could face the next. She really wasn't. She was determined to make up for her past failures. It was that determination that carried her through a staring contest with a wasteland veteran as she was sure he was. Minutes ticked by, their blinking controlled and few.

Finally, Joe sighed, shaking his head at the stupidity he was throwing himself into. "Oh, for... Alright, I'll help, good thing I don't have any other plans. Might as well help you. Well, at the very least, your Psyker powers should help us."

"Psyker?" She asked. More in question to the term than anything.

"Yes. I've had experience with them. It-" A throat clearing brought both of their attention back to the bound Ganger, who had temporarily been forgotten, much to his annoyance.

"Well, that was entertaining spiel, and by entertaining I was wishing you could hurry up and kill me, you don't even know where their main base is. Now, since your interested in getting there, I can tell you where it likely is."

"Why would you tell us where it is anyway? I thought you hated us?"

"Well, either way two groups of people I hate are going to take a hit. I'm sure you old man will be able to kill some, and then they'll kill one of you likely. My bets are on you getting captured, he'll probably put up too much a fight. Well, I hope they manage to take you both alive, but eh, I'll take what I can get. In short, I hope you fucking die or suffer in their hell. But please do remember to kill some while you're at it. It works out for me in the end."

Joe actually seemed to chuckle at the man's murderous intent. "Well at least you're honest. Now, the location?"

"It's in a cave, it used to be a scavenger base from what I overheard. The Prospectors Den I think it was."

"Really? Huh. I know that place. I delivered a few packages there. Here, let me..." He said, reaching for her Pip Boy. He brought up the map, and marked a location on it, a small blip on her screen now lingering on the very edge, pointing in a direction.

"They really took it over?"

"As far as I can tell. It was a cave, and I know for certain those quakes we felt were from underground explosions. Only reason they would steal our dynamite like I said. That's your best bet to finding their base."

Joe nodded. "Thank you. And you understand this isn't personal. You seem like an okay kid. But we gotta look after ourselves. Sorry for the trouble."

There was a resigned bitterness as he closed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just get it over with, I'm tired of fucking listening to you speak..."

"Joe wait-" But before she could do so much as bring her hand up, the courier deftly took a knife, and slit their captive's throat, blood spilling from the wound, making Louise gag at the sudden violence.

"Oh Founder!" Louise cried, looking away from the fatal neck wound. She heard a wet gurgling and sand shifting as the man spasmed. The terrible noise continued.

"Joe, what the fuck!" She swore again, as the death rattles ended, and the two of them were left alone with the body. Louise, holding back hot bile, tried to star at the still bleeding corpse. Blood oozed not only from his throat, but mouth and nose.

"You knew that was coming. We got what we needed and he was a threat, or at least a hindrance to us. Not our problem anymore."

"You could have just let him go. We were heading into a literal snake den, he would not have been able to follow us anyway! And you gave him your word nothing would happen to him!"

"I said nothing would happen to him during questioning. And yeah I could have. But he also could have brought a posse to wait for us when we get out of their lair.

"You—"

"Louise, seriously, do you want to waste time talking about this? Your traders need help, and the scent of blood is going to attract predators. We don't have time to argue this. We need a plan if we're going to stand a chance. We can save the debates for later. If you still want your radiation medicine to last until you get to a new home, I suggest moving on to more practical problems."

She wanted to drill him on this issue, this was unacceptable! Bandit or not... you don't just kill people like that. The sheer callousness was genuinely staggering to Louise. She wasn't naive, she knew a few in Goosprings who killed people as well.

But it was just... seeing Joe coldly execute a defenseless man like that, after what she went through. Stopping her thoughts, she took a breath. She wasn't about to indulge in the hypocrisy of killing. But, she couldn't deny Joe's pragmatic reasoning.

"Alright..." she said, her voice starting out as a whisper. "We are going to talk about this. Later."

"Fair enough. Now, as I was trying to say before, you're a Psyker. What it means is you have abilities that can help us, even if you're clearly a novice in using them."

"You mean like, mental abilities? I was already suspecting that to be honest. Wait, wait, how do you even know what a 'Psyker' is?"

"I was with a... group a long while back. One of them had abilities like this. Similar to you in fact. I've spent enough time around one to notice some signs at least."

"So this person... he had mental powers?"

"More or less. We mainly used him to help sense if anybody was sneaking up on us, sensing people laying in ambush for us, where people were in firefights. Just like how they got their friend of theirs to do that for them, for how brief they could. I knew there was something off about that fight."

"Of course, that does raise one problem: That means all the Vipers will be able to sense you. I think that guy was picking up on your own thoughts. Sounded like even sub conscience.

"But how? If their brains are so damaged by the venom, how can they do such a thing?"

"Think of it like this. Addicts have things that make them more vulnerable to Psykers. For one, their addiction gives the Psyker an easier time gaining influence because their will tends to be low and their mind is physically and mentally already controlled. Like a nice handle to grab onto. As for how they can sense you, well that's to be expected right now. You haven't learned to control your abilities yet, so you're sending out your thoughts and feelings like a campfire at night. That's why I was pushing as hard I was to focus on calming you during taming the pup. I'll need you to learn to exercise that a more frequently, and this little rescue operation is a perfect example why."

Louise was silent as he explained at least some of her, 'Psyker' traits. She... believed him. She had seen enough evidence to support his claims of her powers. Mitchell proposing her own magical abilities were mutating was her personal take on this. She was warned of still having adverse effects even with her Radaway and this looked to be it.

She was thinking that maybe, it was also related to typical mage abilities. The ability to control animals through runes after all was a mages trademark. If she could do that without said runes... well, she had time to fully digest the implications of her essentially becoming a mutant. The urgency of getting to Harvey and Dani helped mute her personal unease and horror at her mutations.

How were they going to rescue them though? Joe was right. This wasn't going to be easy. Maybe she could control them? Joe seemed to notice her contemplative look.

"I don't think you'll be able to control them though. Sounds like they just became really receptive to your own abilities. They can hear your thoughts, which means it'll be damn near impossible to really sneak up on them. They constantly hear something, not to mention, I don't think you would even know how to control them to begin with. But... they're insane compared to a usual addict going crazy. We might be able to fool them if we play our cards right... I wonder." He ran his fingers through his chin hair, putting thought into their predicament.

He looked at the pup, then at Louise, his aging face betraying some sort of thought process.

"Hmm... snake dog for a snake den. I have an idea..."

...

* * *

 **Well, this took a fucking long time didn't it? Blame my overconfidence in writing this chapter. (And the editor ~Editor.) I just find that, if I have to improvise a bit during writing, it helps me. Whereas if I have a solid idea on what I want, it takes longer. Weird...**

 **But anyway, the Vipers! Yeah, I'm not making that stuff up about them by the way. Cut content that I thought was interesting.**

 **And, thank my new computer troubles for delaying this as well. Resolved now, but eh. I should have the next chapter out sometime next week.**

 **A Thank you again to Quaver Ava for betaing.**

 **Edit:** **Also, I would like to apologize to whoever that guest was. I should not have responded that way, as it is a valid complaint and you do raise a good point.**

 **I'm going to clean house on my old AN's. The guest is right, they really are me being full of myself and acting like a douche. And then I get snippy when I get called out on it... Again, I apologize for acting that way.**


	21. The Long Walk VI Part 1

**The Long Walk VI Part 1**

* * *

Louise followed Joe back to the Powder Ganger they left behind, nervous of the trouble they planned to stir up. This wasn't the hunting trips or the night watches back in Goodsprings. Both were dangerous but this was distinctly different. Defending the town from attack was expected for survival. The danger came to them, and they defended what was theirs.

Today, they walked into danger, towards insanity itself.

This time, Louise knew that they were likely to die. They were heading right for an enemy base, a base full of cultists. Joe, her, and her Night Stalker pup.

Oh Founder! Louise panicked. She imagined herself huddled up in a corner in her mind, pulling at her hair and rocking back and forth. They were going to war. What would her mother think of her now? Terrified and trembling before what needed to be done? Mother would call her a coward. Was Louise really doing this? She knew the answer to that of course, but she felt the need to ask herself, to assure she wasn't dreaming. She was determined, but the reality of what they were going to do was sinking in like a poison, spreading through her veins as a void of endless dread. Empty, consuming, despair.

"You really think this will work?" She asked her Night Stalker. He looked up with a questioning gaze, seeming to sense her inner turmoil. She wondered if he understood the shaking in her voice, or if he could smell her dread. Maybe her 'Psyker' abilities reached out to him and he felt her worry.

The plan hinged on her mind being able to do things she had no idea how to control. What if her Psyker abilities turned out like her magic, and she ended up blowing things up? Maybe she could give people headaches.

The puppy nudged her leg with his snout, a comforting gestured that eased her emotions by a sliver.

Joe shrugged. "I hope you can make it work. It's probably our only way inside. As I said, there is a lot of we don't know, Louise. We're going on a lot of improvisation here, and that means we need faith. Something I don't particularly enjoy. But circumstances being what they are, this is a good as we're gonna get."

"Faith? Haha, you're welcome to stay out of this mess. This is my fight, not yours." It was her pride that pulled her out of the depressing pits of despair. If Joe wouldn't show confidence, she'd try harder.

"Then you'll probably die if I leave."

His words were like a metaphorical kick to her soul, and she stumbled back into a storm of twisting emotions. "And why do you care again?" Louise argued, relying on her temper to keep her going. "Last time I checked, you didn't give a gryffons ass about an entire town being wiped out. But two people are enough for you to stick your neck out?" She amped her anger into hostility, remembering dying screams in the night and the smell of burning flesh.

What she needed was what drove Joe forward. Jealous of his drive, she wanted to know why he helped her. What made her friends special for him?

"I'll be honest, if you didn't have your powers I probably wouldn't be on this rescue mission. I'd have decided there are better ways of dying than to cultists. Or getting my brain scrambled enough to think like them."

"That doesn't answer my question: Why are you doing this? You've more a survivalist than an hero. Going out of your way just for my sake doesn't seem like you."

"What, an old man can't do something stupid once in a while?" He said with an honest to Founder grin. It was easy to forget his odd sense a humor what with his quiet baritone voice.

It was still strange to Louise how quick he could make off handed comments. No matter the circumstance. Was that what he had, a reserve of humor? Joe was a strange man.

Joe shook his head and continued. "More to the point, even if you are a novice with your powers, I think you can pull this off. You did well in taming the pup, even the Psyker I traveled with needed more than a bit of practice to do that. Hell, it sounded like you managed to scare off a Deathclaw with your powers from what you told me. It didn't run away, you _made_ it run away. Take it from someone with experience, that's not easy. You must have something special about you if you can pull that off before even finding out about your abilities. I'm taking a gamble, I'm putting faith in you."

She didn't respond right away, mulling his words in her mind. She thought of different Deathclaw, one who's flesh fell from its body. But it was true, she must have scared one of those monsters off, somehow. People on this world took Deathclaws as serious as a rogue dragon, and from just one encounter she knew why. They were near demonic in appearance and named appropriately. The NCR trooper she watched effortlessly torn in half gave credence to that.

"They're not like other beasts, Louise. They are smarter than they look. There are a few stories of a few that talked. Don't give me that look, I know, I don't give those tales much credit either. Still, they ain't dumb. If what you say is true about scaring one off, then we can manage insane cultists. That's why I believe we have a chance." His words didn't comfort her. Talking Deathclaws? That was horrifying thought she did not want to think about. But, it was better than thinking of a cavern full of drugged out maniacs. Both were as likely to sit down for tea as a barbaric elf might.

"The main thing you should focus on is keeping your thoughts under control. From what we were told, the Vipers are sensitive to hearing your thoughts, so we need to make sure we keep your mind quieted. The Vipers are crazy, not stupid, they'll know something is up if we slip-up one too many times. But we do have some leeway. Remember back when you tamed the pup? What you need to do is something like that. Focus is key."

"I guess. But that was when I was panicking. And the pup is... Well, I suppose you're right. I'm nervous about this, that's all." Louise was more than nervous, but she convinced herself this was the noble thing to do, so she would do this. Whatever this was. Icy tendrils of terror danced in her heart despite herself. Psyker abilities, they were putting all their cards in on something she hardly understood.

"I know. But it's all we got. Focus hard, really hard, on what you want them to hear. It might be difficult, from the sound of that one's rambling. I think your experience with Goodsprings is clouding your head. They'll see that like the crazy man did. He said something about a 'burning woman reaching?" Joe leveled his eyes with hers.

She flinched at the reminder. Those words spoken by the insane gang member stung anew with the revelations. Did she project her thoughts that loud? Projecting the image of Sunny burning alive? Louise's stomach froze into a tight icy block.

"Louise, focus." Joe said "We should be getting close to where we left that man. I want to make sure they got him before we move. We don't want them coming up behind us. We can test you when they pick him up, see if it works before strike out at their base. If we're going to fail, I'd rather it be out here and not on the main assault."

Louise nodded, working on her determination of what was to come. Despite this, it was some time later that she realized Joe had avoided her question of why he cared to help her rescue her friends.

...

* * *

The place they stopped at looked like the rest of the wasteland to her. She wasn't paying attention to the surroundings as much as she should with the upcoming trial clouding her mind. She was guessing they were close to the drugged man. There wasn't any other reason to stop as far as she could tell. The crazy seemed more animated now at any rate. As she crouched next to Joe behind some rocks, the insane man let out a bout of laughter. A shiver ran down her spine. The poor thing, fool doesn't understand what's wrong with him.

Joe tapped her on her shoulder. "Alright. We're almost there now. You remember how it was with the pup? Think calm soothing feelings. That way he'll feel comfortable. Now, I don't think we'll be able to mask your influence completely. I want to gauge just how far we can be from them without them taking note of us. What I want you to do is…" Joe took a dramatic pause, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Think of crickets."

"Pardon?" Louise cocked her head, some of her hair falling into her vision.

"Before we get to the base, let's try something simple. Imagine the sound of crickets, calm and steady, like the ones around us." He made a broad gesture with both hands for emphasis.

"Really, that's your idea? Just think of crickets to pass by the snake cultists?" Louise rolled her eyes. Of course Joe would come up with something so lame and anticlimactic.

"You have a better plan? Like I said before, we're running in improvisation here. We don't have much time to come up with a solid plan. If you can do this, then we know they can be fooled. Then, we can focus on using that to get inside. Either this, or you try and keep your cool untested when we're closer to their base."

She opened her mouth to say something, thought for a moment and closed it. She didn't have a better idea, and not likely to come up with one in time to save her friends.

"Alright. I'll try." Her voice wavered. She was trembling. The idea of matching her thoughts with that of a cricket suddenly seemed daunting. Maybe not so lame after all.

"Just listen to the insects around you, get into rhythm with them. It should be easier now that you something other than just emotions to go on like with the pup. That's as good as we're going to get. If this doesn't work, your friends are going to die. No two ways around it." She flinched as if struck, the cold tone as merciless as hard steel.

Well, he wasn't wrong about that either. And, well now she actually did have something to go on instead of vague emotions and feelings. She still doubted, but as joe's words sank in, she knew he was right. There was nothing else to be done if they wanted to save her troublesome traders and have a reasonable chance of escaping.

Harvey and Dani needed her. They needed her to succeed, to help them. She refused to fail more people. Ignoring the cold stone of dread and anxiety still inside her twisting guts, she steeled herself.

Louise focused on the chirping sounds around her. The little bugs were like a soft orchestra in the night. She listened to how fast they chirped, and how loud they were. Focusing as if she were attempting a spell, she blocked all other thoughts. The pounding of her heart, her inner voice of encouragement and doubts faded as she focused. She wrapped all excess noise up tightly in imaginary hands, and strangled them. She was a cricket. Chirp, chirp. Everything else but the musical cacophony of the night washed away into a void inside her. Packed away and ignored. Chirp chirp.

Joe had a strange expression of recognition and he grinned. "Been a while since I've seen that look on someone. It's nice to see again. Remember, do your best to keep your thoughts on the noise. Nothing but that."

Nodding, Louise turned back to the lone Powder Ganger babbling away in the night. Did he ever stop his babbling? The problem right now was that he was delirious.

Without a proper test subject, Louise could have burst all blood vessels in her head, and they still wouldn't have known if she was actually doing anything of value. They had to wait for the Vipers to show up to put her new talent to the test.

So Joe and Louise waited. It gave her a chance to really get in tune with her fellow crickets. She kept her gaze on the man and other than the real crickets about them there was no disturbance during their wait. She felt she was doing something right. An ache crept into her head and that must be a good. It meant something was happening with her mind. It was a confirmation of sorts and she used the growing throb to forge her focus on the insects of the night and the insane babbling fool.

Finally, shadowy shapes arrived, outlined by darkness and moonlight. They danced down the hillside, some whooping in excitement. A few had guns, pistols and rifles, and others had spears. They gathered around the man, one kneeling beside him. Louise could hear faint conversation on the wind, but nothing discernible. For a few tense seconds, one appeared to look in their direction. Thankfully, the figure gestured to where she and Joe had gone to earlier.

The Courier was right not to pick the same path on return. Their position was secured by darkness. Eventually, Vipers reached a conclusion. One particularly large man slung the crazy gang member over his shoulder and they turned to leave, apparently none the wiser of Louise and Joe's presence. If it weren't for the near trance like state she was in, she might have been happy at their success.

Did she do it? The Vipers didn't even look back. She couldn't allow doubt to spread. Not now, not yet, no doubt. One wrong step and this would be for nothing. By the Founder above! Louise fretted, stress and mental strain crashing inside her. She quietly hummed the song of crickets and musical bugs, her head beginning to tear from the inside out as she focused on her task. Chirp chirp. She thought again and again.

Thankfully, Joe's whispers helped bring her back to reality some. "Well done Louise, we're not caught yet. Keep it up, we're that much closer to saving your friends."

She nodded but refused to break her concentration, even as she stood and stepped behind Joe as he led her towards her newest challenge. She sent a few more prayers for Harvey and Dani. And for her head to forgive her after this was over.

...

* * *

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

Tailing the Vipers was not an exercise in physical strength or endurance but mentally and emotionally. Louise could say she was straining under barrels of weight. It was akin to walking with a stack of books on her head while steadily casting low yield explosions. Or like walking a tightrope above a snake pit. She did her best to keep the only noise in her head the mental garbage of cricket noises. As she feared, her headache ramped up its throbbing with every minute that passed. Joe helped mitigate this, as she followed his instructions as he led her, stopping and going when he said so. Their footsteps were faint, like the snapping of toothpicks.

Despite the success, she had a sliver of doubt threatening to infect the rest of her mind. Doubt that this was actually working, that they weren't just walking into a trap. If she survived the night, the crickets would likely follow into her dreams with their evil chirps. She sang their tune, while a small part of her thought of smashing and killing the damn noisy bugs. It was like a parasite writhing in her mind. When this was over, she worried that the very thought of crickets would cause her to be sick. For now her throbbing headache matched the insect's tempo.

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

Still, she held on, and as they followed their targets in the night they traversed the rocky landscape. The march wasn't long, but when Louise had an entire night's worth of crickets in her head, time distorted. Every minute felt like an hour. Founder, it felt like the entire symphony had smuggled in knives and was joyfully stabbing to their hearts content. Like a band of cricket raiders, using her brain as their instruments of pain and suffering. The crickets were evil sadistic blights that needed to die. It was only her desperation and Joe's silent encouragement that kept her from stopping her self-inflicted torture. She carried on, wishing to knock herself out. Anything to make it stop. Joe's presence continued to keep her going, and she was truly grateful for him being there.

Chirp, chirp, chirpidey chirp. She sang along, determined despite the painful throbbing in her head.

"Alright, we should be almost there. You're doing great kid. We have a chance. A small chance, but a chance. Just need to keep it up a bit longer." Joe whispered to her.

She gave a slight nod in affirmation and gritted her teeth, refusing to bow out just yet.

The Vipers led them over a hill top and Louise noticed Joe falling back. She slowed her pace to match his, taking care to keep a wary eye on their unknowing guides. The Vipers slowed and walked up to an entrance to a cave. Louise glanced to Joe to find him taking a critical eye of the surrounding area. Perhaps looking for sentries or signs of a trap.

Louise scanned the area and didn't see anything but the shadowy landscape of the desert. She paced herself with the steady chirping, constantly playing the tune in the back of her brain so she didn't lose all focus and her deeper thoughts stumble out for the Vipers to hear. New voices echoed through the night, and she redoubled her efforts of imagining herself as a cricket.

Chirp chirp.

She heard someone that sounded like a man but his voice was strange. His tone was something akin to a person who was drowsy but laced with a creepy evil accent. It was a difficult trait to put into words, certain octaves sending crawling sensations across her skin.

"Greetings brothers and sisters!" The eerie voice said. "I see you have brought us a new member, still trying to process the Great Snake's wisdom, and come into Awakening. Another reformed, from the filth of their criminal spirit into a purer path, an enlightened path."

Louise strained her ears, splitting her thoughts between eavesdropping and playing cricket.

A woman spoke up in reply to the first voice. "Yes. His eyes are damaged, but they are still good enough for him to see. At any rate, he will make a useful instructor on explosives, something we certainly need to turn the caves into a pit. That's the good news, but here's the bad. We have a third party unaccounted for. Someone killed these criminals. This one is in the midst of proving his worth. Probably won't be answering important questions of how his fellows died. Don't know if it's that other gang in the area or not. We've done our best to guide him, but it is up to him if he can withstand the Great Snake's words."

"You sound troubled Warrior Sister. Is there something else to this?"

There was a noticeable pause before she spoke again. "He was babbling about something peculiar, a girl who 'spoke with her mind', among other things."

Louise felt a pinch on her head, her control wavering for a split second too long for her to like.

Chirp? Chirp, chirp, chirp.

"Hm. Perhaps it is just him. People react differently to being shown the truth. And there was no one to guide him in the time of the Awakening. Perhaps he was wandering into places where one ought not to?"

ChIRrrpp~

Louise's teeth clattered. That last chirp was out of tune, out of place. She was slipping, or, was that an inserted thought by the creepy voice?

Her head hurt and she was suddenly aware of how tired she was. Was she going to die today? Funny such a thought wasn't abnormal anymore. She was tired, but not caught yet. She shook her head and redoubled her focus.

"Perhaps." The woman said. "Have the trader and his kid Awakened?"

"Not yet. We can't use our own for placation you know. But, if someone else did those criminals in, then it suits us just fine. Bring back some of the bodies, they will do fine in the soothing ritual, and then we can welcome a new brother and sister."

"Very well. Perhaps I'll come across those interlopers while we're at it."

"Perhaps. Farewell for-… hm."

"What is it?"

"Crickets sounded funny… I must be imagining things. Go on your way while the night is young, and be quick about it. The Bull was spotted around town, and where they go, trouble follows. Just like their Bear rival. I would like you to not waste too much time. I have a feeling they are up to something. Stay vigilant."

With an unseen response, the miscreants walked away. Sand and rock crunched beneath their feet, their light steps growing distant.

Joe peered over their cover, observing the remaining cult members. Louise heard them doing something, but even without seeing she was confident in betting that the drugged Powder Ganger was being dragged inside their base proper now. She dreaded the thought of continuing with the plan. The pressure in her head felt to bursting. It was like a damn tea kettle that just couldn't release the pressure, and her mind was being cooked under the blazing compression.

Thankfully, her torture was nearly at an end.

"On my mark." Joe said, catching her drifting thoughts. "Drop the sound… And, go."

Louise dropped the internal cacophony of insect noises, quietly gasping. The relief was a sudden release of anxiety and stress, followed by beautiful lucid thoughts. A loud ringing echoed through her, and she was faint for a moment. The silence was akin to stepping inside a quiet room after a daylong racket of exceptionally loud chatter. Her knees were weak and she shook. She wasn't used to keeping her willpower constant and steady. It was normally released in the form of failed, explosive, spell attempts. Lingering pain softly faded, the after image of knives slipping from her mind and clattering to the floor.

They… they had done it. She did it. It wasn't magic, not how she defined it, but it was something special. They were right outside the Viper's base now. Unseen, and right outside the the enemy's door! Her Night Watcher nudged her leg. Some strength flowed back into her at his encouragement. Having a pet for moments like these was pretty a nice addition.

Even Joe seemed content to express his approval. "Well done, Louise, I mean it. Told you you're stronger than you think."

Louise felt a blush that might have somehow given them away. Could the Vipers sense her embarrassment? For just a moment, however, she didn't care and found herself surprisingly fond of the thought of making Joe proud.

"Now, to get inside…" His confidence wavered ever so slightly, and her own elation leaked out of her.

"How? Should I fight their insanity by filling their heads with crickets? I practiced that just now for the past half-hour, I bet I could ransom their remaining sanity by threat of chirping." It felt good to reply with sarcasm. Louise was confident she could out chirp the chirpiest of students back home. They were all crickets that she still had a small desire to stomp.

"Nah. Remember what I said earlier? If these crazies worship snakes, then we have the perfect idol for them." He gestured to her pup.

"Or heresy." A roll of her eyes was barely avoided at the thought. She hoped this wasn't actually Joe's plan. Her sarcastic remark probably had better merit than using venomous puppy to get in.

"Heresy perhaps, but like I said, improvisation. It's all we got."

"How though? I don't think they will just drop and bow over for a snake-dog hybrid. Perhaps, he'll woo them with his ugly cuteness." The pup cocked his head at her comment. Truly, a face only a mother could love. Did that make her a mom?

"That's why you make it seem holy, special somehow. We need to draw out the guards by the front, but if we do anything hostile, well that's it then, it's a bust. The whole place will be on alert. The Bull sounded like the Legion. They hear any shots, that's gonna be their first thought, and a full on assault is what we can expect. But, with this, we get a chance to lure them out with curiosity."

"We don't know how they'll react though. Attempting to pass my dog off as divine spirit could easily result in the whole base coming out, or who knows what. This is hinging on a lot of unknowns, Joe."

A slow and weary nod was his response. "Exactly. Precisely why I don't like going on jobs without some intel, but it's either this, or one of us distracts them, lures out as many as we can, and leaves the other alone inside looking for your traders. Then we all end up dead, or at least me. I'm sure the snake skins will look good on you." He joked.

The blunt words struck, and had they been physical she was sure she would have been knocked over. They were backed against a wall here. And with the consequences for failure spoken, she decided to focus on solutions. She hadn't learned the songs of the sophisticated cricket to back away now.

"Alright. Any idea of what I should be 'thinking'? 'Praise the sky snake' or such?"

"Hm. Well, if we're trying to make it seem holy, I think as long as you can convince them it's actually the pup talking, we should be good. We just need to clear out the entrance, then we should have a better idea of what we're getting into. Just get the ones in the entrance out of the way, as many as you can. I got a suppressor for any stragglers inside, as well as for these ones. Try and see if you can just ask for them. If not, lure them close to us so we can put them down."

"I do… alright. Yes. I think I can do thi-wait we?"

In response to the question, Joe handed her a handgun, a 10mm model, with a protruding round metal object extending from the barrel.

"Yes we. Just in case there's more than I can shoot myself."

Killing them. Despite their transgressions, despite the Vipers being an insane cult, Louise didn't want to kill. The incident with the Powder Ganger was a heat of the moment thing. This was luring them out and gunning them down. She eyed the gun, its form foreboding.

Joe didn't seem to care much for her internal misgivings and roughly shoved the handgun into her grasp. "First time, yes I know. Same as before. It's either this or failure. Take your pick, Louise. The clock is ticking."

Joe was wrong half. It wasn't the first time she would be guilty of ending another's life. Her first was a town of innocents after all. Her turmoil of the events returned. The cool metal firearm rested heavily in her hands, heavy and a world of difference between it and her wand.

Beside her, the young Night Stalker looked at her with a tilted head, forked tongue slightly out. He rested his paw on her leg, looking at her with far more empathy than a simple beast should be capable of.

Joe patted her shoulder. "Just, trust me on this alright? You need to send him out as bait."

Her snake puppy shuffled his paws and gave a small whimper. She stroked his ear and he seemed ready to please and die for her if she asked him to. The puppy could and would do this for her.

She heard wood creaking, likely the door to the base, and Joe was peering over the top again. "Alright… one of them is back out now. Now or never, Louise."

She nodded, not responding verbally, but opting to put more effort into her mental words. She peeked around the side of the rock she was behind, seeing the darkened shape of a Viper. She took a breath, and resumed exuding her mental grasp. She must have done something right because he jumped in place, a rifle in his hands at the ready.

"Who's there!?" He demanded, others soon by his side, their black forms training guns on all directions.

 _Is that any way to speak to one such as me?_ She projected her thoughts loudly. Really, being a glorified puppet master to a damn snake dog for a bunch of snake worshiping idiots was among the last things she'd ever thought would happen to her.

"Who goes there? Are you with the Bull? Or the Bear and its unruly convicts?" The same man asked.

 _I am not the Legion, nor am I part of the vile Bear. I am something different._

With a gentle pat on the pup's back from Louise, he ventured around the rock, walked towards the group a bit and then stood there looking wide eyed at the strange humans before it. Or she thought so, she dared not move her head to look, but the lack of snarls of heresy was a foot in the door at least.

"A Night Stalker? Wha-"

 _Watch your tone with me commoner thing._ Louise reached back in time for the arrogant girl she had once been.

"What is this? Wha- What?"

 _Is that any way to speak to one such as I? Should you not be groveling before my majesty?_

And of course the pup chose that moment to lick its balls. Wonderful. True nobility of the Night Watcher. (I added a bit, but she can't see her pup lick its balls because she's in scaredy-cat mode. Can she sense him?)

 _And do you see how little I think of you? Perhaps you should do more to earn the respect you so claim to foist._

"Enough! Explain yourself creature! What are you and why are you here!?"

 _I am an angel of the Great Snake. The one who helped your founders._

Even though she didn't see it, Louise was sure she at least heard his skepticism. She could imagine his eyes narrowing, his mind catching up to the impossibility of a talking animal. "I don't know of any angels spoken of before. I don't know what precisely you are, but I doubt you are what you claim. Night Stalkers weren't even around back then."

Louise suppressed a violent and crazed string of curses. They might have even made her mother blush. It was like suppressing a mental sneeze, painful and disorienting. She needed to bounce back from this.

 _Perhaps not, but one cannot deny-_

"I think you are lying. Our founder, the Great Snake Keeper Faust, never mentioned you, never put you in the First True Words. And the only time our Child ever speaks to us is in our dreams, or when we are first initiated. Tell me, why should I believe you? You are an oddity to be sure, but not a part of the Great Snake, or its Children. I have no idea what you are little pup. Leave. Leave before I decide you are more than a slightly interesting animal. You speak in a horrendous accent as well. That alone is giving me incentive to shoot." (They seem to be rather rational people. Odd for a cult of crazed fanatics.)

No! No, she couldn't be failing! Louise didn't want to admit any failure. Doing so would surely break her mental control. She glanced to Joe, between his serious eyes and his knuckles turning white on the grip of his gun, it told her the ground she was on was a hair's width from falling apart.

Images flashed in her mind. Harvey and Dani bound, the latter crying, screaming, while whatever was done to make them Vipers was inflicted on her. She smelled something burning, a horrid screeching in her mind echoing as if in a cave.

Not again, not again! She felt her facade breaking, cracks forming in the wall she had built. Like a trickle of water picking up intensity, images flashing. Harvey and Dani, Sunnny burning, the sound of gunfire and death, the destruction of everything she held dear. And at the very end, for brief horrific second, she saw a familiar face. A black, near opaque face with milky white eyes. It was gone a second later, but Louise swore there was an after image lingering behind her eyelids for an instant.

"By the Children! What?! What just happened?" She heard another yell.

"What was that? I saw something! Something in the dark watching, waiting.

Louise scrambled to turn her moment of broken sanity into a key for the Viper's den.

 _Perhaps, now you understand. I am not some mere mutant you can order around. I suggest you listen to what I have to say. Yes, I admit I am not an angel. But I am something more. I do not wish for us to fight. If you are willing to hear me out, perhaps we can avoid any more incidents._

"Very well."

Louise blinked and paused for a moment. That worked? Well, she pushed on.

 _I only want one thing, and one thing only. If you give me that, I shall leave, and never return. I merely want that man and girl you captured. Release them and bring them outside. After that, we will depart._

"No. I'm afraid that is not going to happen. I do not know what you are, and I respect your... abilities. But they're not negotiable. They shall be Awakened, and know our truth."

 _There is no way to negotiate this?_

"No."

Louise let out a sigh, one filled with resignation. Joe was holding up five fingers. Two on one hand behind three on another. Three in the front and two in the back.

 _*Sigh* Very well. I understand your choice. But what if, I offered you a trade?_

"Trade... what sort of trade could you possibly offer us? You carry nothing we could want."

 _If you do not wish to give them up, I know of others you can get. On my way here, I passed by some more interlopers. Another man and girl. The man is strong. The girl is beautiful by human standards. Defenseless and ripe for the taking. A fair trade, no?_

The Vipers looked uncertain, or as uncertain as head movements could be at this distance and darkness.

 _If you wish, you can bring as many as you like to accompany you. I am far from invulnerable. I shall show you where you can find them, or at least point you in the direction._

Still hesitating. She needed to prod.

Or I could simply reach into your minds again and show you.

"O-only to show us they are real." The leader seemed to try to sound confident.

Louise projected images of her and Joe huddled in the darkness of the night. She took care not to give their location away.

"...Very well. You try anything pup, and we won't be giving you a chance to run."

 _Good. This way please. Come... come. come. come._

She was forced to let that slip into the stream, to get the pup moving in her direction she wanted. Her headache was increasing again, her concentration slipping. She hoped this wouldn't go on for too long, least she tear her brain in half.

Now that eyes were on her position, she dared not peek, but Joe was giving her hand signals. Five Vipers, three in front and two hanging back slightly behind them. The two in back he would target first, so that left the three for her.

The sound of crunching earth signaled the victims approaching to their executions. Her grip on her pistol reflectively tightened. She hand cramped but she dared not relax.

"Am I really going to do this?" She mumbled to herself, trying to keep her thoughts to a minimum, and that left the simple cold reality closing in on her in the form of cultists. She was going to kill them, some of them at the very least. Or they would kill her. But she'd kill one of them first at least. Her hands would finally be stained red.

Harvey and Dani...Would she let them end up the same as Goodsprings? The reply was akin to a quick pull of the trigger itself. 'No.'

 _Yes... yes. Come here. Ah now, to the left, left left. Look that way. There are over there._ She slipped a little in the wording. It was near unbearable now, stars flickering in her vision. She felt herself drawing blood as her teeth dug into her lower lip.

If they noticed it they gave no verbal cue. Instead, the three leading the group finally entered her sight. With a closer observation of the cultists, she could see what looked to be bones on their clothing. Bone armor? Small hands interlaced one another, some too small to be that of an adult's. It meant something dreadful, but Louise didn't let herself think too deeply on the tiny hands.

The last two Vipers walking behind held back, just out of her sight, but she could discern head outlines of them. They were facing away from her, looking somewhere off in the distance.

She rattled sage in her mind, prattle, prattle, as she looked back to Joe. When their eyes met, instead of shooting, he slowly began to creep on them, knife in one hand and gestured some signals for her to keep babbling mentally in their minds. Actually, his hand made talking motions like it were a sock puppet without the sock. She gave a false location for the Vipers to look at.

Sorry for the noise, I'm unpracticed speaking with humans, but there you all have it, the location of those interlopers. Joe had reached his first victim. He covered the farthest back Viper's mouth with a hand and plunged the knife into the man's neck.

Louise raised her suppressed pistol towards the three in front. _I urge you all to be vigilant this night. You never know what foul fate can befall even those under divine guidance._ Joe had gently but swiftly guided the dead Viper to the cool sand. He wasted little time in moving to the next, who had the presence of mind to turn just in time for Joe to slash his knife across the Viper's wind pipe. He pulled back and stabbed again, into the eye to quiet any last struggles.

 _In other news, Oh bloody hell, oh Founder, uh, chirp, chirp, I'm a cricket, chirp._

Save for all of them focusing on the strange behavior coming from the pup, they neglected to notice Joe carelessly dropping the second body. He drew his sidearm and blasted a hole into the left most Viper. The reactions of the last two were swift, swiveling around, drawing their weapons.

Instincts screamed at Louise, and unlike last time she dared not falter. She pulled the trigger of her 10mm, a pat of her suppressor sounded off, and consequence was the right most Viper clutching a bullet wound that tore through his throat. He fell to his knees, coughing a wet terrible sound before it turned into a panicked, choking, gurgle.

Joe shot the finale Viper in the chest three times and the man fell, dead.

Louise continued to stare at the man she shot, watching in horror as he continued to writhe. She hoped Joe would shoot the poor man, put an end to him quickly. He must have decided it wasn't worth the bullet. Instead, he stared as she did, watching the cultist die. In her inaction, the Viper finally stopped clawing at his throat, his legs ceasing their futile kicking, and he died.

Her first kill. She had taken a human life. Not the mistake of inaction that led to other's death, but the purposeful choice of ending another's life. The unmoving body seared into her memory. Her emotions stopped and she stared at the corpse.

She didn't feel anything. Where did her worry go? Where did everything go? Her vision focused on the body, tunneling until the only thing she could see was the gushing wound in the man's neck. Was she supposed to feel sick, regretful? Was this shock? It was the only way to explain her reaction. Her first kill and she felt so... numb. She was expecting more fanfare, but with just a pull of the trigger, the cult member lay dead seconds later.

"Nice shot. Next time aim for center of mass." His critique made her flinch. Earlier she had appreciated his pride in her, but this was somehow different.

"...I just killed a man." She rasped. She could hear the horror in her own voice. It didn't sound like her voice at all, but it was something at least. Something other than the overwhelming numb feeling coursing through her. She wanted to drop her pistol. Her hand shook terribly.

"An evil man, who already had his mind fucked up by drugs, was involved with kidnapping others and doing the same to them, including your traders. You heard what the Powder Ganger said, he was dead the moment the venom hit his blood."

"I know, I know but... oh gods..."

"Louise, there's two ways you can look at this, pragmatically or mercifully. Pick one and help get these bodies moved out of the way and cover up the blood spots. If another patrol comes back here, we'll need as much time as we can get. Hell, we're pushing it already with the ones still inside. Get moving."

Joe's lack of empathy at her emotional struggle tore something inside Louise. It infuriated her that he could be so apathetic when it came to death. Taking another's life was not trivial. She shook herself, burying her anger, and focused on their current situation. Joe handed her some gloves and she slipped them on.

Standing over the corpse of the man she killed, she stared at it for a moment, directing her anger at the dead man. This wouldn't be the last man that would lose their life directly by her hands, but he was her first. She shook as she stared at his body, stoking her hate and anger of everything that was wrong with this wasteland, and what lows it brought her to. This wasn't murder, she told herself, this was justice. That was how she needed to proceed.

The thought only unsettled her more.

Touching and moving the corpse was an endeavor. Together, she and Joe worked to move the bodies in a hidden crevice of a few large boulders. She never thought she'd need to dispose of bodies in her life. Yet here she was, hiding her kill. Like a common murderer.

She was not a murderer.

It was an execution. She told herself, hardening her nerves to the thought of more executions.

"Careful not to get their blood in any wounds. Don't wanna get brain fried that way."

She ignored him, mumbling a few curses by the Founder, and added in some commoner curses she overheard some servants quietly mutter a few times. She continued her list of colorful language, muttering to herself.

"Louise, focus!" Joe said, grabbing her attention as she finished depositing the last of the corpses. "For God's sake, we just managed to pull off clearing out the entrance, that's already better than I thought we could do. Now c'mon, the sooner we get inside the better. They'll be missed soon I reckon. Then we'll never get in without a direct fight. We're here to save your friends."

The reminder of their goal was like a slap to her face, clearing the numbing fog that blanketed her mind. She breathed, forging her resolve. "Yes. You're right, Joe." A noble woman must be focused on the mission at hand.

The best way to get used to something was to do it more, wasn't it? Her mother would gladly wipe these vile people from the world. So, that's what she would need to be for what was to come next. Gritting her teeth, Louise stood taller. She'd show Joe that the Vallière name wasn't one to be crossed lightly.

However, before they made to enter the lair, a sudden explosion of noise in in the night drew both Joe's and Louise's attention. Another explosion, gunfire, people screaming. The beginnings of a fire was slowly but surely growing in size, giving a clear beacon. It looked like it was coming from a town.

"Nipton."Joe said. Well, she could have guessed that herself. And she could also guess who was attacking it.

"...Legion."

...

* * *

 **Well, it's about fucking time! I apologize for the serious gap, I had a severe case of writers block. Like, _really_ serious, ugh...**

 **You can thank my beta for getting me out of that funk. And Good news is, the next chapter is already being betad so it really shouldn't take anywhere near as long as this one did. It'll be maybe just a bit shorter than normal though.**

 **Stay tuned!**


	22. The Long Walk VI Part 2

**The Long Walk VI Part 2**

 **Edit: Just a quick heads up, I made a slight addition to the last chapter. Basically adding in at the end, Joe and Louise witnessing Nipton getting hit by the Legion.**

 **...**

* * *

Entering into the Viper lair knocked loose the rest of Louise's emotional daze. Fear and adrenaline replaced the emptiness. She supposed she was acting as the brave hero come to rescue her friend, but felt stupid and cowardly as they stepped inside.

She didn't want to think about the town that was burning nearby. The Legion, the group she had only heard nasty stories about were uncomfortably close. If they found out about the town's involvement with the Vipers, then both she and Joe had a good idea of where they were heading next. Something they both agreed would be a very unpleasant thing to put it mildly.

Suppressed guns at the ready, Joe cautiously moved forward. She half expected a storm of death to cut them down. The image of taking someone's life still lingered in her mind with each step. Despite her cleared emotions, the memory was fresh and vivid. She tried to clear it,, for both their sake. Joe and her were alive, and that's what mattered most.

Every scratch and scrape of their boots against stone was akin to a gunshot in her mind. Louise swore her heart wanted to burst free from her chest. The, thump thump, of that heart was remanence of thrumming crickets.

Joe ventured further along, cautiously being sneaky. Louise shadowed him peering past into the darkened cave. Her Night Stalker stayed near her legs, naturally the most silent of the three. It was pitch black, but Louise could make out light far into the dark distance. They crept, and tiptoed, careful and ready to take cover near a wall if found.

Joe instructed her to project muffling thoughts again. Her thumping heart turned painful, each beat sending a spike into her brain. Ba-bum, ba-bum. And they stalked. She couldn't afford to lose control. They were so close, they just needed to find Harvey and Dani and get out of here. But where, that was the question.

They reached the end of the entrance tunnel and into a lighted area. Joe scanned for guards and found none. Some scattered electrical lights and torches provided illumination. A lone shack sat alone in the first cavern with freshly dug tunnels off shooting into who knows where. Strange symbols covered the shack, curling over another like snakes. Of course, snakes. Oddly, it was the size of the offshooting tunnels that was the defining feature, large support beams holding back the earth and stone. Just seemed odd they would need tunnels that big. Why risk collapse?

Louise glanced around the cave. "Which one do we go down?"

"I don't know." Joe grumbled, just at a loss as she was.

Best infiltration ever! Louise had no clue what they were doing. They get inside only to face the dreaded fact that the Viper's lived in a Founder's forsaken labyrinth. She didn't know if she could keep up suppressing her mind, and given the events that happened outside, she wasn't sure how long the Vipers would stay away. Joe and Louise didn't have time to wander aimlessly.

Louise was ready to taint her lips with a steady string of muttered curses when the heart stopping sound of footsteps emanated from behind them, near the entrance. The pattering of shoes against stone was fast and urgent.

Louise was again straining to keep her thoughts under control, her head feeling like it was coming apart at the seams.

Joe grabbed Louise and dragged her into the darkness of one of the side tunnels, hiding behind the large support beams that held the tunnel up. She noted he picked the dustiest tunnel, perhaps the one less traversed. So if Vipers came from other tunnels, they wouldn't be happened upon. Hopefully.

In the torchlight, Louise could make out several figures enter the cavern, all armed. The bones stitched into the Viper's clothes rattled and clicked as they rushed forward. They stopped before the shack and hurriedly knelt, this one wearing a blood red sash. "We have a problem brothers and sisters." The first Viper of the group gasped, winded from his run.

People poured out of the shack into the cavern. Others came out of tunnels, all wearing the same combination of bone armor and red sashes. The finale Vipers to step out of the shack was a man Louise assumed to be the leader. He was dressed in ornate robes and bones. A woman wearing the same get up stepped out next to him. "What is wrong?" The male leader asked, voice still eerie and horrible.

"We don't know. There's a commotion coming from Nipton, sounds of screaming, fires blazing. We think it's being raided by the Bull. The guards at the entrance are missing too! We think there might have been scouts who found our location."

"The Bull _was_ planning something... keep an eye on that area. We must go and gather the rest of our night parties." The creepy leader shook his head. "I fear they already know where we are if the guards are absent."

"What of our new prospects?" The lady leader, a priestess maybe, turned to the man, her voice like a smooth whisper on the wind.

"I think it is too risky to proceed with the ritual tonight. We should make preparations in case we need to flee. They shall be used for placation purposes. Begin the preparations, we shall join you shortly." The man leader said, waving his hand as if all this were a bothersome annoyance.

Six Vipers departed down a tunnel with a purposed march in their step. Louise eyed the departing party, assuming that was where Harvey and his daughter would be. At the very least, they knew where to go, but the strict time limit was breathing down their necks.

"We face an unfortunate situation. We must flee. Once more the changing ways of the outside world force our hand. Enemies at our gate over and over." The man leader spoke, clearly annoyed at the troubling events of the night. And then, he continued to talk, deciding to give a speech in the moment of all things.

Louise's fingers dug into the cave soil, impatient as the Viper leader prattled on without pause. His voice grated her ears and turned her stomach. She hated hiding and wanted to rush out and save her friends. Founder dammit, come on! Why now of all the fucking times to give speech!?

"But we will not fade into the night. Even if it means finding a new Shrine, then we shall. Now go, get rope and binds for what is coming. I want some of you to recall our night parties. Get them back here at once." The Viper leader rattled off the general areas the said parties were likely at this time of night.

After the orders were given, the assembled Vipers finally stood and scattered separate ways. Thankfully none joined the six down the tunnel Louise needed to go into. Perhaps through a stroke of genius or luck, none of the departing enemies ventured down the tunnel Joe and her were hiding in.

Joe waved a hand to Louise, a sign of patience. She gritted her teeth and turned her thoughts into cave silence and empty numbness. It was difficult. But they waited until the main cavern was empty again. When all was clear, they stood and crept along in the shadows into the tunnel that she assumed her friends were down.

...

* * *

"Oh Great Snake, we have come bearing gifts. Sink your fangs into this child and man, rend their flesh. They are not worthy to join your will." The Viper looked at Dani in a way that made Harvey's skin want to peel off. in disgust.

"Come on, man. Stop stalling, I know you were excited to have the kid as one of us, but we gotta get going here." Another Viper admonished his friend, as if they weren't about to feed Harvey's little girl to a monster.

"You... you sick fucks... fuck... fucking let... let her go!" Harvey screamed. Restraints held him back and he was left with nothing more than helpless curses. The Vipers changed their minds on turning him and his little girl into one of them for whatever damn reason. He had been confident that death would be better than watching Dani lose her mind, or her watching him lose his. But in the face of death, he still resisted.

He struggled and cursed, cried and wept. They poisoned him with something and he could hardly move. Dani was unconscious, perhaps a blessing in their current circumstance. He secretly hoped she didn't wake up and feel any pain. "Let her go." Harvey begged, weakling pulling against the ropes that tied his hands and legs.

Soft thumps echoed from deep in the tunnel opposite him. He turned his head away from the sight of his child in that accursed Viper's arms, down into the darkness where the Great Snake was supposed to come from.

A short figure walked out from the dark corridor. Torchlight reflected off a fiery blaze on the girl's long pink hair. Harvey stared, dumbstruck for an instant as his brain searched for the name that belonged to the girl's face. It was Louise.

Before Harvey could make any more sense at seeing her in this cave, she raised a suppressed pistol and shot the man holding Dani in the back. He dropped Dani, her body collapsing to the floor, head hitting stone.

Next a tiny Night Stalker rushed from between Louise's legs and leapt at another guard. It bit, and the man screamed before receiving shots in his chest four times over. The final two Vipers turned and had enough time to reach for their weapons, but jerked and stumbled as silenced gunfire left holes in their chests. Their bodies fell to the floor one after the other.

In a matter of seconds, Harvey's captors were all dead. It was shocking how simple and quick their executions were. He was powerless to do nothing and then, four Vipers were dead.

"Watch it Louise." A man's voice said, the stranger stepping out of the darkness beside her. "Next time, don't go rushing in. Never know when one of them is a quick shooter. One of those guards back there near the cages almost got a shot off. And watch where you're shooting next time, you nearly hit the girl." The man chided.

Louise didn't say anything to her companion. Instead, she ran forward and dropped to her knees beside Dani. "Oh no, no." Louise whispered, checking for any open wounds in Dani's hair. There was a moment of panicked silence before both Harvey and Louise saw Dani's little chest rising and falling.

"The kid should be fine I think, Louise. I watched her fall and her legs and then shoulder took the brunt of it. We'll check for trauma once we get out of here. The Pip-Boy can give us medical scans." The stranger said before turning his attention onto Harvey. "I assume you're the little girl's father?"

Harvey nodded before he found his voice. "Yeah, you saved us. Dani's got a hard head, it'd be a shame if that bump hurt her now." He said for Louise's benefit and his own. Sitting up straighter, he regarded his rescuers. "Is that really you, Louise?" It was a dumb question and he knew it, but it had been some months. Perhaps this was all a part of a strange hallucination, maybe he lost his mind days ago.

"Who else has pink hair and charming accent?" Louise shot back, her tone shaky yet amused.

Harvey chuckled. "Didn't take you for the noble save our asses type." Louise stiffened at that before she gave him a dazzling smile. Moments ago her youthful features were murderous as she killed two Vipers. Harvey wondered what happened to bring her here.

Louise's friend knelt down beside Harvey and cut his restraints. "Can you stand?" He asked.

"They drugged us with something. Can barely move my limbs, heads rather fuzzy. I'm not sure if this isn't still an elaborate dream." Harvey could think, but there was pounding ache in his head and spine. The adrenaline of the situation had given him enough clarity to talk.

"Shit." Harvey cussed, remembering what was about to happen before his rescue. Watching his captors get gunned down actually distracted him from the greater danger of the damned monster coming to eat them. "Louise, tough looking guy, take Dani and leave! Y'all have to get away, now!"

"Calm down, we need to find somewhere we can sneak around in this cave. The others will be here shortly. We're going to get company and we need to—" The stranger paused, a look of quickly spreading fear passing over his face. Louise turned sharply, perhaps in alarm to the change in the man's placid tone up to that point.

And they should be scared. "It's here." Harvey whimpered. "We're going to die." He whispered.

 _"Hide!"_ The older man harshly whispered to her as he quickly put Dani behind a rock, the one that Harvey had been propped up behind.

Louise barely had time to react to what both he and Harvey just said as Joe roughly grasped her mouth, and put an arm around her stomach and pulled her into hiding next to the traders, the pup cowering among her legs.

She had no idea why he was acting like this, surely if they were found out it would be best if she actually help him shoot back?

That was when she heard the hiss. It echoed through the cave making her mind go blank with fear.

Considering what her mind was capable of doing, it was was for the best.

Louise peered around the rock they were hiding behind, hearing the sounds of soil and rocks shifting as whatever made the noise crept from it's hiding place and towards their own.

And once it''s scaly head entered the torchlight, bigger than the bodies it was inspecting, Louise wished they had guns on them that had barrels that matched her eye size at this very moment.

A giant snake. They were in this cave with a giant snake. Who's head was no less than ten feet away.

...

* * *

-  
 **Well folks, there ya have it! Man, I've wanted to get to this encounter for a good long** _ **while!  
**_ **  
Wanna know the craziest thing?** _ **I'm not making it up!**_ **Yeah, the giant snake, the drugging people to make them join, it's all canon in the Vipers lore entry on the wiki. Sadly the dev team never implemented the lore into the Vipers in New Vegas which is a damn shame in my opinion.**

 **Sorry if this chapter felt rushed and bare bones and well, short. But after my extreme writers block, we need to get this story a moving!**

 **So, how will Joe and Louise get out of this one? Next time...**


	23. The Long Walk VI Part 3

**The Long Walk VI Part 3**

* * *

Had Joe's hand not been firmly over her mouth, Louise was sure she would have let out at the very least whimpers of terror. The thing was a dark brown color with what looked to be a patterns of black scales on it's back. Its slit brown eyes, despite not being focused on her, gave her chills no amount of ice spells could ever hope to match. Frankly, with how her heart threatened to tunnel it's way out of her flesh and bone, she was surprised she hadn't given them away. The monsters head was near the bodies of the slain Vipers, it's nostrils taking in the scent of fresh blood. Yet it didn't seem interested in chewing on them.

" _Clear your mind."_ Joe hissed at her, and she had enough of a grasp to realize that letting her mind run amok would end with them inside its stomach. She clamped her thoughts down hard, thinking of a brick wall. She really wished it was as real as she was envisioning it, but the lack of death by snake was, just barely, good enough.

It didn't appear to notice just yet, continuing to investigate its fallen devotees. Joe mirrored her, muted, thoughts. "We don't have much time. It's distracted by blood and heat from the flames, but it's a pit viper, it'll figure out we're here sooner or later. I don't suppose you got some armor piercing rounds on you? Knew I should have gotten more… scales are too thick to shoot with normal bullets. Lasers maybe, but you'd need a lot."

Well this was just dandy. She had a brief internal debate over weather or not she should do what she was thinking of, but it didn't look like there was much in the way of options. "I... might have something that can help." She hesitantly said.

"What, you stuff a whole pack of AP rounds and didn't tell me?" He asked.

"No…. but I can cause an explosion." She said.

"What, grenades?" He asked again, sounding more impatient.

She sighed in frustration. "No. Look, it'll take too long to explain right now, but you're going to have to trust me. I can make an explosion that should tear that thing in half."

"Really..." He sounded skeptical, making the girl bristle in annoyance, snapping at him with a hiss to rival the snakes.

"Yes really! I wouldn't lie about something like this, right at this fucking moment!" She squirmed in his grasp, frustration and fear making her increasingly impatient.

He didn't voice his disbelief, and though he looked uncertain, it looked like he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. They were after all not exactly afloat on options. "How powerful is it? You could bring the whole cave down on top of us, if you can." Still skeptical, but resigned.

"I know." She conceded, but she didn't give up. "But unless you can pull your own explosions out of your ass.." She trailed off giving him a fierce glare.

It just made him chuckle. Joe craned his neck to check on the snake. "It's getting bored." He hissed. True enough, it's head was starting to look around the cave, and Louise swore it felt like it was always slightly gazing their direction.

He shook his head. "Can't outrun it while carrying them. I think one of us is going to need to draw it's attention while the other gets those two out of here."

"Just take Dani." Louise jolted at the sudden voice from her left. Eyes snapping to the source, she found the pleading expression of Harvey looking up at her, hopelessness clear as day. "Just take her, n' don't worry 'bout me alright?" His voice was quiet, but it still had enough power to seize her insides and twist painfully; her jaw clenched, fists balled as he continued. "If nothing' else, she has to make it. Anyway, someone needs to be bait."

No.

A small word, but it carried so much power. She had already lost so much because of her cowardice-because she chose to flee instead of fighting to the death, just as Mother would have. She may not be able to bring back Sunny, Trudy or anyone else who was butchered like lambs in Goodsprings, but she could not, _would not_ , let another chance to save someone she cared about pass her up.

"I'm not letting you die." Her tone was cold and hard, frightening in its intensity. "I'll distract it."

Something about his tone, the utter resignation of it, the earnest decision to give his life for his daughter struck something in Louise. She had already lost so much because of her cowardice. The thought another good man dying made her teeth clench, a faint smell of charcoal permeating the air. "I'm not leaving either of you." She already knew what she had to do. The fear of the snake a distance away like afar off piece of scenery. "I'll distract it." She said suddenly, catching both men by surprise.

She was expecting resistance-desired it even, on some level-but neither Joe or Harvey said a thing, staring at her resolutely. She had no idea what caused such a change in their expressions, whether it was how she said it or something else, but their determination, their trust was more than she could have ever needed.

She swore she saw his lips move upward for just a brief moment, then again, it was fairly dark. "Try and aim for it it's eyes and it's heat sensors between it's nostrils and eyes. Scales are too thick to bother anywhere else. You fry them, it'll have a harder time trying to find us, and every second counts when we make a run for it. Mouth too, can smell us with it's tongue. And if you can, try and mess with it's mind. Just do something to make sure it's aim is off if it closes in, got it?"

She nodded, Joe's grip on her loosening enough to get out her laser pistol.

Joe looked at something in the cave. "I think I can see some tunnels further back there. Looks like they might be a good place duck and wave, I know we'll be getting some more company soon. As soon as we get clear of this cave Louise, and into the main part don't hesitate to bring it down on top of this thing, got it? I'm placing trust in you being truthful about that."

She nodded. She gripped her pistol with both hands, giving a glance to her traders, Harvey looking at her with pleading eyes, and Dani being completely helpless. All because of these animals and the one they worship. The dull anger heating up inside her began to spread, her hands clenched the laser pistol in a vice grip, and, dare she say, a sort of eagerness began to settle over her. Not for the chance to fight, but to do something she should have done before.

 _I'm not losing anyone. Not again. Never again._ If that meant putting herself in harms way, and in front of a monster of a snake, so be it.

She got to one knee, energy weapon at the ready, feeling like a gun hammer about to go off. Her fingers drummed the handle in anticipation. "Alright… and remember to count your shots…here it comes… just a little bit higher… GO!"

Feeling light as a feather, and an eerie calm over her mind, she sprang forth from her position, laser pistol firing at the area between it's eyes and nostrils as they came into view, firing off five shots, three of them hitting the right one.

It reared back, not expecting the pain flaring in it's more sensitive regions, the smell of burned flesh already permeating the air. In the dimly lit cave, she could make out the glowing spot where her laser struck, and soon there were a pair of glowing searing wounds on the snake's head as she fired off three more shots on the left sensor, looking like another pair of eyes leering at her.

Despite the pain, it had enough presence of mind to lung for her, and she let off another burst into it's mouth as she dove to the side to avoid being swallowed whole. She quickly got back up, and the snake was already getting ready for another go at her. She could make out Joe having managed to get Harvey on his back, and Dani in his arms as he made for the tunnels.

She was mindful of it's body trying to box her in, moving closer to try and coil around her, but she kept moving, aiming for it's eyes. She was grateful that the laser pistol lit up where she hit allowing her to adjust her aim accordingly. Despite the addition of three new glowing pockmarks, she didn't manage to hit it's eye, and it still looked combat ready.

Damn it, this couldn't last. She couldn't dodge forever, it would either get lucky or smart before then. She was loath to do this, but she had little in the way of options.

She began feeling outward, trying to focus in on it's mind. Megabeast or not, it had to be easy to subvert. It was just a mindless animal, no matter the zealotry by these lunatics.

And it was fairly easy to as well. What was not easy, was dealing with the unexpected rush that slammed against her mind.

Smells, sounds, sights, all seemed distorted, like looking through a heavily warped pair of glasses. Phantom pains flashed flared all over her, and she swore for just a second, she saw herself holding her laser pistol, the cave itself lit up like daylight. She could even make out her own glazed eyes, her laser pistol threatening to slip from her grasp.

Yet, it wasn't as bad as she thought. Not as strange, alien, as she thought it would feel. There was resistance, but it wasn't from the mindscape itself, but something else.

However, before she could do even begin to put her plan into action, something happened that chilled her to the bone. At first, it was a tingling in her mind, but then-flashes of images; a white wooden fence, fresh cut grass, a child dressed in strange clothes and a loving family...

Blinding light, so bright and pure she was sure it would burn her eyes from their sockets. Coldness, darkness and then new life. Again and again these images flooded her mind, images of different people: men and women, the young and the elderly, portly men and sickly skinny ghouls. These people, many visions shown in the very deep dank cave they found themselves in.

When it was done, a feeling remained. A thought.

 _What are you?_

Louise's mind went blank, confused. She could feel her gun slipping and slipping from her hands. Did the snake just... _talk_?

…It talked. The fucking. Giant Snake…. Just _talked!_ Mentally maybe, but still, this overgrown garden accessory was speaking to her.

She nearly dropped her gun in shock, and just barely managed to avoid doing so when another shock she felt it _push_ against her mind, she felt her legs nearly give way. It looked back at her, it somehow managing to look just as surprised as she was. It lasted for just a second, as it took advantage of her state and lunged.

She fired her laser pistol again, aiming for the left eye and diving out of the way. Its eyes were still intact, but she burned its sensors, and she was sure she did enough for it's mouth.

It didn't appear to be gearing up for another lunge. She raised her pistol at it's eye, but held off firing as the process of images began again, this time images of others, praying to unknown gods, eerie chanting reverberating in her mind, the sound of drums, burning effigies, some of live sacrifices.

 _You…_ Was the thought. It was genuinly confused by her, even cocking it's head like a confused dog.

 _So you can talk? I am surprised._ It was distracting it so it was in her interest to keep this up. She tried to retaliate with her own images, and in the strange connection she formed with it, castle walls sprung up, spears and wands all pointed at it. She tried to will them to fire and strike, yet they were brushed away with a slight breeze, a sneeze almost, as it turned icy, the feeling of fingers on her spine. The pain shot to her head, and the monster visibly recoiled. The stench of sulfur and death permeated the air.

 _You… you are not right. Something is wrong._ Was she she interpertred.

Gritting her teeth in pain and anger, she was more forceful this time, a fire erupting behind her evaporating it's invisible hands, forming a ring around her as a protective shield. _What? Not used to something else talking back you leather belt? Cowardly snake._

This time, there was no images, but the feeling as it stared her down was chilling in it's own right. No animal should ever look that smart. Wait... was it making noise? Founder it sounded like nails being dragged on a chalkboard. I _can smell the fire in your mind. Something else scratching in the flames. Claws. You are sick._

She snorted, imaging sending some embers it's way, even managing to catch it off guard as it was distracted by something, and it visibly flinched in pain. Says _the thing who who's venom makes people go insane!_

It hissed at her, her flames suddenly snuffed out with a giant gust of wind, a bizarre looking cloud in the shape of a mushroom high as Albion in the sky. Indeed, as she thought of it, soon the floating continent was there next to the cloud. _I am from an old time long_ forgotten. She saw... something. _Vague memories, carried by ancestors but nothing like this ever. You… you are an antithesis. I can smell the wrongness in your mind._ Claws scratched on chalkboard. You _should not be here._ Explosions erupted around her. You _are a mistake. For Albion was never mentioned._

She felt a pressure in her head again. It had been building during the entire mental talk with this monster, and much like before with keeping it under wraps with the Vipers, it felt like her head was going to pop.

She was transfixed on the thing, so much so that the sole reason she survived what happened next was the movement of its head. It was toward the entrance to the cave, she heard a shout, and in the instant the realized what was happening was when she felt a searing hot pain lance across her back, her finger reflexively fired and found its mark on the snake's eye, erupting a mini fireball of hot viscera. The thing roared in agony, and Louise was throwing her own curse words as she bolted from the hail of gunfire and monster roars.

"Louise, in here!" She barely heard him over the roaring and the gunfire from the Vipers from the entrance. She couldn't quite pinpoint him.

She felt something tug at her, not like the invasive and overpowering feeling of the snake, but a smaller, dependent scared, yet brave voice. It wasn't even words, just a very defined feeling in the chaos of pain and din. 'This way'.

Not knowing what else to do, she followed it. The already fairly dark cave was plunged into absolute darkness as she entered, and yet, Louise found herself avoiding rocks that she 'felt' were there, feeling as if it were second hand to be traveling these caves. It wasn't until she heard a mixture between a growl and a hiss that she realized what was happening.

It was the pup.

It yipped in happiness as it led her down the tunnels, Louise having a general sense of where the tunnel lead already. It was such a bizarre feeling. She swore she kept seeing after images in her mind as she ran, the cave appearing as if it were daylight. How in Founders name had she managed to get connected with it? A question for later no doubt.

She heard movement from the cave, the sound of scales scraping the rough cavern floor echoed through the tunnels. With it, came the thing's voice, the tinge of pain just barely betrayed.

 _Not since Faust have one of our kind encountered someone who truly could communicate with us. Faust was capable of always being in contact with us._ The image of a man, his gaunt and tribal decorated features briefly flashed in the cave, staring at her.

She ignored it and the pressure in her head building as the pup lead her further into the tunnels.

 _The others hear our voice only once as we see their lives. Whenever the dose themselves with our gift again. We truly did want nothing more than to have an easy life. Their outside machinations meant little to us._

She swore she saw something as another flash of pain happened. Those same milky white eyes flaring for just a brief moment. She ignored it still following the pup.

She felt something crunch beneath her boots. Bones she realized as she looked down. The floor was coated with bones, some human like skulls, others such as coyotes and geckos, and even some radscorpion remains as well. The tunnel was a dead end she realized, the pup looking ashamed at having lead them into a corner.

"Shit, Louise where are you!?"

She turned around at Joes voice, and gasped. Her pup had it's back hair on end, it's tiny rattle tail doing it's best to try and ward off the beast that was now in sight, looking at her with it's one good eye. The blood from her wound, she guessed, was ripe enough for even one such as crippled as this to sniff her out. She raised her laser pistol, but the pain was making arm extremely wobbly. Even at this distance, she wasn't sure she could hit it. She could see an opening to the right she mad missed in her panic and pained run. There was no way past now.

It too realized this, as she was suddenly assaulted by the feelings of suffocation, the taste of acid, screaming withing a closed fleshy place, screams of men women and children most assuredly not her. It was feeding her sights, sounds and feelings of all the people it's eaten she realized. I _do not know what is wrong with you… but regardless, I doubt it shall matter when it is being digested._

It opened its mouth and in the few moments before it lunged, the world seemed to slow down. The tunnel was suddenly daylight, and it held. She could see the burned out eye, the burn marks in it's mouth, it's wet maw and it's deadly venomous fangs. She was going to die, she realized. Swallowed whole and that would be the end of her journey.

She felt the pain that had been building through the mental conversation suddenly explode, she connected with it even more so than she was previously. As if a block within her mind had been lifted.

And then, even in the darkness of the cave, she could make out black limbs reaching at great speed for the snake, long claws visible, and in a sudden flash of clear vision, the black limbs remained as if they were a monsters arms caught in a flash of lighting.

She might have written it off as a hallucination of some sort, had the snake not also reacted, it's one remaining eye, widened in surprised, and it visibly veered off course, overshooting, and slamming into the cavern wall. She heard something crack as it connected, and feeling more than a little happy at the idea of this thing in pain. And it if the blood and screaming and thrashing were any indication, it actually managed to surpass her own poor assaulted head, throbbing like it had been slammed with a hammer.

She didn't waste the chance though, despite some blood leaking from her nose. Pain or not, when a giant snake was next to you, you put some things like a splitting headache and hopefully non lethal blood loss on the back burner. She scooped up the pup and dashed for the opening to her right, towards Joes voice. She dodged it's trashing tail end, and followed the older mans voice, the punctuation of gunshots dulling her aching and bleeding back.

It took longer than she liked to navigate the side caves, but when she finally emerged, she finally had a solid point of reference, muzzle flashes near the entrance, but not directed at her this time. It was Joe, firing into the holding area, the two traders by his feet. She ran towards it, putting down the pup, and letting the tethered feeling guide her up the pathways. He spared her a simple glance as she came to a rest by him and the traders, the courier giving her an wide eyed urgent look.

"Where's the snake?"

She wiped away some of her nose blood. "Back in the cave somewhere. It slammed into the wall in the tunnels and I bolted for it."

He nodded. "Then now's our chance. There's only two left in there. We finish them off now, then you seal this tunnel. We don't have a lot of time, for that snake, or your wounds." He said. Right, her immune system was, quite possibly, going to kill her for this.

Sounded good to her then. "Let us know if it tires to sneak up on us." It barked in response, casting it's eyes down the darkened tunnels.

"One to the left, one to the right. Don't know why the rest haven't shown up. Maybe the Legion got here." Not a good thought. They'd better hurry up then.

"You cover me. Your pistol good?" She didn't think so. She fired around 20 times. Not enough for covering fire. She popped out the old battery, and a new one in.

Nodding at the display, he gestured to her.

"Wait for a pause in their firing." She didn't realize they were. Was she really becoming that numb to it? She didn't dwell on it this moment, pouncing on a lull, she peered around the corner, and began firing at anything vaguely human looking, save for the one that charged in, dashing behind the table full of looted gear from other travelers.

Joe didn't waste much time. As soon as one sprung up to shoot at her, a bullet called his poisoned mind home. The other was shocked, and Louise secured another kill herself by sending a lance of bright red light through his forehead.

The immediate area secured, and hearing the barks of the pup, Louise grabbed Dani by an arm and dragged her inside.

"I'll get the Harvey, you cover the door, the moment I'm clear, you blow that tunnel."

She said nothing, but nodded, getting her wand out in preparation. She watched the iron doors leading to the cell area, but despite hearing the yells of the enemy, none dared to come through.

"Now!"

"Fireball!"

The usual circus of noise ensued, the magic altering it's color and of course the pain and radiation as the spell flew away from her wand and into the darkened tunnels where the monster lay. The resulting cascading noise of rock and stone falling was music to her ears. There was now a rock wall between them and it, and unless it felt like braking it's face against boulders of rock it wasn't getting through. and Louise felt like collapsing in relief. Joe wasted little time on his end however. He took a rifle from the loot table and jammed it in the door handles of the outer steel doors, a temporary barricade from the rest of the base who surely heard that.

"Now we just got a base full of nutters to deal with. Not hopeless yet. At least we got a choke point."

She nodded, simply glad that the snake was well and away behind them. She pressed herself against the table with the looted belongings a bit too hard and something tumbled to the ground beside her.

It looked like a varmint rifle, albeit one painted black and with a synthetic plastic body instead of the usual wooden one. It had a suppressor on the muzzle and a fancy looking scope. Wasn't automatic, but it was another weapon. It operated the same as a varmint rifle, and though she never got around to learning how to use it, she'd seen Sunny use it plenty of times. She pulled back the lever, examining the chamber, and found it had a single round in it, and then moved onto the magazine proper. A full one. If she were to run out for her pistol, skilled or not, it was better than nothing. It had a leather strap so she slung it over he shoulder as she sat next to Dani, the girl still unconscious. Good. She didn't deserve to have the thing she'd seen in her head.

"Can't believe… we got this far." Harvey breathed out. "Can't believe you'd jump in front of a monster like for us kid." He said, his features glowing with admiration, making her own glow red.

"Don't go jinxing us now. Still a lot more walls to paint before we're out of here. I'd prefer it if it wasn't ours. Well, more than there is already. Louise, you better at least get some bandages on that." Joe put a hand just under her back wound making her wince.

"Not deep thankfully, but it's still bleeding a fair bit. This'll have to do until we get somewhere more secure." He quickly patched up her wound. A temporary fix, bit it was better than nothing. At least her nose stopped bleeding.

The sounds of fists and boots against steel burst from the door Joe had barricaded causing both combat ready people to snap their weapons in that direction.

"Won't be long now. Still got some fight left in you?"

The pink haired mage's eyes flicked to the traders for a brief moment. "Absolutely. They're gonna make us into devils in their tales when we're done with them." Louise growled up. Joe's eyes actually widened in surprise, and he leaned back just a bit. His mouth curved up in earnest amusement. A bit dark, but her friends were drugged, and she was wounded, she'd earned the right to be little vengeful.

"That's the spirit. I'm sure they'll never look at the color pink without considering it taboo either." He ribbed her. She rolled her eyes, but found her grin hard to keep down for some reason.

The door rattled and shook with the fists and boots of the cultists on the other side, crying out in anger and fear as they tried to get the doors open. Both mage and wasteland veteran took aim at the door, ready for to put the rest of the crazed lunatics down for good.

But not all of them. For one little pup had suddenly begun looking back towards the collapsed tunnel. It's eyes were unblinking, and it's ears twitched, it's nostrils flaring and it's tongue flicking at a fresh scent. Its hackles raised, a sudden pressure in Louise's head, making her turn before it even started barking.

"What is it- " She was unable to finished the sentence, for the next thing she knew, the rubble had been thrown outward, just barely missing them as Louise shielded her eyes.

And the culprit slithered though, it's bloody ragged face with it's ruined eye, it looked something akin to undead. It's nose was a ruined bloody stump, scales were hanging from it's face exposing muscle, rocks were visible in it's ruined eye, dust mixing with blood, as its overwhelming force returned to her, her head alight with agony as it sounded off.

 _Kill her! Kill her! Cleanse this thing of it's curse!_ The thing was screaming inside her mind, gone was the sage if slightly arrogant tone. Now it sounded as if it had lost it's mind as it thrashed and hissed, terror obvious. And the images, what little she was getting seemed... broken. Something in the dark was the most she could make out. This thing wasn't just desperate to stop them, it truly did feel like this thing was spooked on a primal level.

It lunged in a frenzy but couldn't quite pull itself free of the rubble. Neither Joe or Louise however we're going to let a giant mutilated snake head get them without a fight, and they both began unloading hot lead and hot lasers respectively. Without the scales protecting it's face, the firepower was noticeably causing it pain, and she was sure they could finish it off now, relishing the pieces flying off and burned muscles.

That was until in it's thrashing, it grabbed Dani. It held the girl by her leg, though thankfully it hadn't actually bit her with it's fangs, forcing both Joe and Louise to stop their barrage lest they hit her. Even in pain, and fear it was smart enough to simply stall them until the Vipers broke though, overwhelming them with numbers. It's single eye was locked on her.

 _ **You!** I saw you! I know what you truly are! What You will... _ The landscape began to change around her, shapes taking form. A row of corpses strung up on a pentagram, a grand battle full of soldiers she did not know, a silent vista of a graveyard overlooking a town.

Louise was not entirely focused on that bit, she was starting to see red, the sight of Dani in the things mouth… her teeth ground, in anger.

She grasped her wand in her left hand, hidden behind her leg. As she stood up to her full height, taunting the snake.

"I'm the one you want! Come one, I'm right here!" To further prod, she pushed against it's mind, reminding it of all the pain she caused it in the past few minutes. That was the final straw.

It dropped the girl unceremoniously to the ground and lunged for her, it's insane appearing face matching the look in it's eye. The bait took, aiming her wand at it's open mouth Louise wasted no time in chanting her spell.

"Fireball-" The spell launched at the first letter and the spell travel down it's throat, exploding inside the snake that was still on the other side of the rockfall, causing it to scream inside her mind, and roar in the physical world as it thrashed madly as a scorching explosion ripped through the monster's flesh.

It physically pulled itself from the rubble now, completely bisected, blood spraying as it's top half flopped around, even coating Joe in a fair coat of paint much to his annoyance. The wound was sizzling slightly, and Louise suddenly felt the brief stab of hunger as it did.

Finally, it seemed to slow down, the blood pool behind it's half continuing to pool, and it stared balefully into the pink haired girl's eyes, even as Louise could feel it ebbing away. No longer were there grand illusions or mental landscapes, but rather the same fear gripping it, even as it began to slip away from her once and for all. It spoke once more, the voice small and hollow.

 _There is nothing but the void after you…._

The invasive presence faded away, and though the body still twitched, far more than it had any right to be, Louise could tell just by trying to reach into it's mind, it was dead.

"Holy fucking... kid, wha-" Joe, for the first time since she had known him, seemed genuinely at a loss for words. She was happy to help him with that.

"I just blew a giant psychic snake in half with magic Joe." The statement was made with nary an ounce of hostility or exasperation.

Joe looked between her and the now dead monster. "...Any reason you had to aim down it's throat?" She opened her mouth to respond, mainly to point out yes in order to avoid collapsing this room as well, but a certain trader had her beat.

"Dani!"

She nearly had the urge to whip herself upside the head with her own gun. Dani! She fell right next to the thing! Oh Founder please don't let her be crushed.

She ran forward and found her coated in blood, the poor child having her entire clothes just drenched. Otherwise, unharmed though, and Louise let out a sigh. She still wasn't awake and in her current state, the blessings of that could never be understated.

"She's fine, just... really in need of a bath." The girls clothes were soaked in the snakes blood. Louise tried to clear it away from her nose and mouth and eyes at least.

"Kid, we get outta here, I'll find a way to make sure you can spend the rest of your life having a hot one." Harvey nearly laughed in relief.

She looked towards Joe, expecting another command or such, but was concerned when he said nothing, giving an intense look towards the barricaded door.

"...They're not banging on the door anymore." Joe commented.

True enough, the door was silent, the once prominent sounds of shouts of anger of blood lust now gone. Though she could still hear voices on the other side. The footfalls of heavy boots echoing in the tunnels, and approaching their position.

Then, the sound of gunfire erupted, the Vipers firing at some unknown force. It went on for some time, before it finally petered out. Joe and Louise had gotten into positions, dragging the traders into cover along with them.

The door burst open, the gun keeping it closed flown across the room. In swiftly marched men in what looked to be refined metal armor. They wore matching metal helms, some having what looked to be glass covering their faces, and red colored armored kilts, a wicked looking spike on their boots and cloaks held in place with Bull Symbol pins. They mostly had simple pistols, though some carried rifles and carried what looked to be spears on their back, though most had them in a guarded position towards them. Blood covered their bodies, and dripped from their blades. One in particular was a giant of a man, one large great sword in one hand while another was on his back. The whole group gave her vague memories of her own home with their aesthetic.

She knew that symbol. She'd heard it spoken in feared tones back in Goodsprings.

It was the Legion.

* * *

 **Well fuck me, this took longer than I though tit would. Got involved with a writing contest on a forum which threw me off schedule, then a whole bunch of summer projects IRL came up.. yeah.**

 **But it is here! Thanks to Guest000 helping me get into the groove of fleshing out the mental encounters with the snake. I hope it was enjoyable to read.**

 **Louise gets a new gun, can you guess what it is? It's my personal favorite rifle.**

 **Also, I took some inspiration from a mod called 'Ceasers New Regime', which gives the Legion some overhauls in the look and weapons department.**


End file.
